Summer Again
by solodolo
Summary: YAOI! DRACOxHARRY. Draco is being pressured into taking the dark mark. Harry is the only one who can save him, but can he look past their feud? Or will Draco simply be left to fight for himself? Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**WARNING: This is a yaoi, or shounen ai, or slash, or whatever you call two boys falling in love.**  
><strong>If you don't like it, please don't complain. Just go pick out a new story.<strong>

**DISCLAIMER: Characters and locations are all property of J. K. Rowling. I am merely borrowing them.**

Summer Again  
>Chapter 1<p>

The room was cold and dark. The smell of herbs filled his nose as he sulked in, taking a seat in the front. The sound of hushed whispers came from students all around him. He sighed and pulled out some paper for notes. He glanced up at the windows that had not been opened in years. He smirked to himself as he noticed the gunk that formed around the bottom, preventing anyone from opening them. He wondered whether or not Snape had placed the gunk there or if it formed on its own.

The whispers were all cut off as someone strode in and slammed the door shut behind him. He didn't need to turn around to know it was his teacher. If the noise his heavy cloak made wasn't a dead giveaway, the scared shitless girl next to him was. When Professor Snape had made it to the front to the classroom, he turned on his heels to face the mass of students sitting before him. His eyes slowly roamed over his students, fell on Draco, and lingered for a moment. Then he interlocked his long, boney fingers and smiled; a freighting sight for anyone who was unfortunate enough to witness it.

"It seems," He began slowly, letting his voice echo off the cold walls of his depressing classroom, "That Mr. Malfoy is the only one who has the common sense to realize that he is, in fact, a student." He finished, looked expectantly at the now confused students, and turned his face into stone. "Paper," He said simply before beginning his lesson.

"I don't have any paper!" Draco heard Hermione whisper frantically as soon as Snape was at the black board, writing in his long, snakelike print.

"What?" Ron. Draco could distinguish that puberty laced voice from anywhere. "Since when does Hermione Granger go anywhere unprepared?"

"Shove it, Ron." Now that was the voice he had been waiting to hear; the velvety smooth voice that could only belong to the green eyed boy of Gryffindor. "Here, Hermione, take mine."

"But Harry, what will you use?" She whispered back, but took the paper anyway.

"I'll just copy your notes later?"

"Mr. Potter," Snape spat angrily as he turned from the board to stare daggers at Harry. Draco, of course, couldn't help but smile. For some perverse reason, he loved it when Harry got in trouble. "Talking in class, are we? 5 points from Gryffindor and detention."

Draco shifted slightly in his chair so he could glance back at Harry. He gave him a quick smirk and turned back around.

"Bloody git," Ron muttered under his breath.

"Mr. Weasly, same punishment." The Gryffindor's all moaned in unison for having just lost ten points in a matter of minutes.

Class rolled by as it usually had. Potter and Weasly were in trouble, Draco's hand ached after immense note-taking, and he was now walking to dinner with his companions, Crabbe and Goyle.

"I hope there's pudding," Luna sang happily as she walked hand-in-hand with Neville, which earned a couple of snickers from Crabbe and Goyle. Draco simply rolled his eyes and moved on ahead.

"Draco!" Here, He heard Pansy call from the Slytherin table. He plopped down beside her and began their usual conversations. The same conversations they had every day, consisting of the same material neither of them really cared about.

_Strange, _He thought to himself, _How boring the life of a Death Eaters son can be. Surely there's something more. Something to keep my mind active.._ Just as the thought entered his mind, he saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione walk into the Great Hall. Hermione's bushy brown hair was all he saw as her face was shoved in some book or other. Ron, the plump ginger was ranting about something, judging by his rampant arm waving and semi-red face. And then there was Harry. The dark haired teen smiling brightly as he listened to what, Draco was sure, was an incoherent jumbling of words. His green eyes sparkled as he looked at his friend. Suddenly, Draco grimaced and stood up.

"Crabbe, Goyle." He said as he motioned for them to follow, leaving Pansy mid-sentence and a blush slowly forming on her cheeks.

"Have I said something?" She asked as she turned to Blaise, who shrugged and stuffed his face of corn bread.

"Where we going?" Crabbe asked, chomping on a cupcake. Goyle nudged him in the ribs, causing him to drop, said cupcake.

"Potter," Draco spat as he stood behind Harry and Ron. Hermione lifted her head from her book, narrowing her eyes as they landed on Draco.

Harry turned around in his seat as a crooked smile formed on his lips. "Good evening Malfoy," He said sarcastically. "Come to join us, have you?"

"You wish," Draco replied, glaring at Harry with as much hate as he could muster. "Actually, I was-" He was cut off when Professor Snape strode up to where they were gathered.

"Malfoy what are you doing here?" He asked slowly, his dark orbs falling on Draco.

"I was just having a chat with good ole Potter," Draco replied as he slapped Harry on the back as hard as he could and smirked as he heard his sharp intake of breath at the pain.

"Git," Harry mumbled as he reached behind to rub his back.

"Mr. Potter," Snape said, apparently deciding to ignore the display "I have only come to inform you that your detention, along with Mr. Weasly, is required immediately after lunch. No excuses." Then, he turned on heels, much like he always does, and strode off with his cape flowing behind him.

Draco snickered. "Have fun, Potter." Draco added, before he took off to follow Snape, leaving Crabbe and Goyle to awkwardly stand there and glare at Harry who rolled his eyes and continued eating.

"Remember to stir clockwise," Snape advised from his desk.

"Yes sir," Draco replied as he stirred the concoction in his caldron. He had decided to get some 'extra help' from Snape conveniently while Harry and Ron had their detentions. He glanced up from his potion to look at Harry scrubbing other caldrons, sweat glistening on his brow despite the chilling temperatures of the room. Draco smiled a genuine smile and surprised himself when he noticed he was staring. He cleared his throat and went back to his stirring.

The scent that wafted from the potion wanted to make him vomit. "Um...sir...I don't think this is to supposed to smell so disgusting."

Snape rose from his desk and was at Draco's side almost instantaneously. He took a whiff himself and smiled, "Smells perfect," He said before his classroom door was thrown open.

"Professor," A boy from the Slytherin house stood at the threshold. His blue eyes were wide with what could be assumed as shock.

"Yes? What is it Rial?" Snape asked, rudely, despite his visitor being a prefect from his own house.

"It's It's...a student" Was all he could stutter forth. Snape rolled his eyes with a sigh and turned to Draco.

"That's done. Pour it into a vial and take it with you when you leave. You can leave the caldron and other supplies to Mr. Potter." He said pointing at Draco's concoction. "As for you two, Weasley, you may go. Potter, finish those caldrons and you're dismissed as well." And with that, he strode out of the room with Rial following on his heels.

Ron stood up from putting the potions books neatly on the shelf and looked awkwardly at Harry. Harry noticed this and sighed, "Well don't just stand there. You can go." He said much to Ron's delight. He could barely contain it, Draco noticed.

"Thanks mate. But are you sure you don't need some help? You've still got like four caldrons left I could—"

"I'm fine. Go," Harry said again with a smile.

"You're a real pal, you know that? I'll see you in the common room later!" He exclaimed as he grabbed his cloak and bolted out of the room, but not before he shot Draco a dirty look.

Draco smirked and grabbed a funnel and a couple of vials. He corked them once they were filled with a pale green liquid and shoved them in his school tote which he threw over his shoulder. Then he looked back at Harry and noticed that he really did have a lot of work to do before he could leave. And it was Friday. And he didn't help by making a mess all over the station. He sighed, the guilt getting the better of him, he set his tote back down and rolled up his sleeves before joining Harry at the wash station.

Harry looked up at him and gave him a confused look. "What're—"

"Shut it. I'm helping you, and that doesn't mean I have to talk to you." Draco cut him off as he grabbed a sponge and a caldron.

After about an hour had passed, they were done. Draco's arms were sore and he could see the skin on his fingertips had little wrinkles on them. He sighed. _When the Hell did I get a conscious anyway..._He angrily asked himself. He threw the tote on his shoulder once more and made to leave when Harry's voice filled his ears.

"Hey, um thanks. You know, for helping me" He said awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. Draco looked back and smirked.

"Just don't think we're friends now, Potter." He said nastily as he left.

"Hey!" He heard Harry jogging to catch up with him. _What the Hell.._ "Why were you there today?" He asked slightly out of breath.

"What?" Draco asked sourly. He had to get to the library and return the books he'd been lugging around all week and he really didn't feel like talking to Harry. He didn't bother to hide his dissatisfaction with the dark haired boy, either.

"Why were you in Snape's class just now?"

"Really, Potter, I knew you were dense, but I didn't think it was this bad. Did you not see me making a potion six feet away from you?"

Harry snorted. "No, I noticed. I was just wondering what is was, and why you needed it."

Draco stopped and looked at Harry fully in the face. "Why the bloody Hell do you care?"

"I don't know..." He replied honestly. Now it was Draco's turn to snort.

"You're daft." He said before turning on his heels and going the opposite direction to his common room. He didn't care if he had to wait another day to return his books, but he wasn't doing it with Harry asking questions the whole time. He passed Snapes classroom again on the way to his common room and decided to leave a vial for his professor, as thanks for borrowing his ingredients and supplies. He walked in and was immediately knocked back by the fumes, assumedly, from his potion. He went to the windows that harbored the unidentified gunk, and tried feebly to open one. Alas, it was useless. So instead, he left the vial and exited the room, this time making sure to leave the door open.

He tracked up to his dorm, where he dressed in his night-wear and slipped under the covers. He closed his eyes and pictured Harry and himself cleaning together. He chuckled. _Who the Hell would have thought ? _He asked before drifting off into his subconscious.

Upon opening his eyes, he realized he had slept in. And none of his roommates were in sight. He grumbled incoherently as he sat up and stretched. Another dreamless sleep consumed him and he didn't feel refreshed. If anything, he felt like it would have been better to not have slept at all. He yawned and threw aside the green sheets. He grabbed a green towel and walked quietly into the washroom, peeling sleep sand from his eyes as he turned on the faucet. It caused the room to fog almost immediately, limiting the amount of oxygen his lungs took in. He didn't care, it was just the way he liked it. He stepped under the hot water and sighed in relief as he felt it beat down on his naked body.

He enjoyed the sensation immensely. The feeling of steaming hot water falling onto his naked body was exhilarating. _Where the Hell is everybody? _He thought as he suddenly realized, he had yet to encounter any one in his house. _Must be a Hogsmede trip day then _

He slowly walked to the Great Hall, finally encountering some of his fellow house mates. Pansy, and Crabbe were waving him over from the practically empty Slytherin table. He noticed the Hufflepuffs seemed to be the only ones who were all there. _Not surprising, _He thought as he sat down by Pansy again, talking about nothing. _They're an unadventurous lot._

"Wait, what?" Draco asked, suddenly taking interest in whatever Pansy was saying. She noticed this, too, and tried to milk it as long as possible.

"I said that it was good to see you're up finally," She smiled.

"No, not that," Draco said, waving a hand in the air, dismissing the comment "The other part."

"Oh ummmm" She hummed, as if trying to remember what it was she had said.

"Forget it," Draco said as he rose from his chair, only to be grabbed back down by a giggling Pansy.

"I'm only playing. I said Snape had some awkward incident last night, and no one has seen him today."

"What incident?" Draco asked eyeing up the teacher table if only to confirm what Pansy said was true. It was; Snape was missing.

"I'm not sure...apparently it involved Rial. But, he won't talk."

Draco rose from his chair again, looking for Rial. For some reason, he had this nagging feeling that whatever happened was his fault. But what had he done?

"He's not here," Crabbe said between cheeks full of scrambled eggs. Draco shot him a look, forcing him to elaborate. "Rial. He went on the Hogsmede trip." Draco sighed and left the Great Hall. He was tired of the incompetent buffoons he insisted on constantly surrounding himself with. He walked the empty halls of Hogwarts, barely lit by flaming torches that hung on the walls every so often. The pictures seemed to be in their own worlds, barely granting Draco a glance in his direction. He loosened his tie, feeling oddly uncomfortable as he made his way for the library.

The librarian grunted as she saw him enter. He threw his books up on the desk before wandering the rows of books he had yet to read. He didn't enjoy reading, by any extent. Rather, he enjoyed the things he got from books. He enjoyed knowing things and being able to do things sufficiently for himself, despite the people who think he was just a rich kid who had other people do everything for him. He didn't like relying on others. In fact, he despised it. He loathed feeling like he couldn't take care of himself, and further than that, he hated having to entrust people with his life. Like he had done so many times with his father before he was sent to Azkaban.

He didn't hate his father. But he didn't trust him either. After all, how could he? He was a Death Eater who could trust a Death Eater? He laughed at himself for even asking himself that question, which apparently disturbed fellow knowledge junkie.

"Sorry," He whispered in their direction. A female replied with a humming sound, acknowledging his apology. "Um, hey, do you know where I can find books on Magical Creatures?" He asked the girl on the other side of the row of books.

She didn't answer at first, but finally said: "Sure, hold on." He sighed in relief. He had been trying to find a book on them for a while and walked around to see his library guide. He stopped dead in his tracks, however, when he came face to face with Hermione Granger.

"G-Granger?" He stuttered out. Her eyes were wide, looking back at him. He noticed that they didn't hold any anger, or discomfort at realizing who he was. Just surprise. That surprised Draco in return. She didn't hate him? Even after all those horrible things he'd said to her? How is that possible..

"Um...Yeah. So, Magical Creatures?" She asked, her eyes, going back to a normal size. "You're going to have to be more specific than that. There are thousands of books in here."

Draco shook his head. Surely he was imagining this? Hermione was actually willing to help him. What the Hell? After he realized she as still waiting for an answer he crunched his nose up. "I'm not really sure"

She studied him for a moment. "So you're just reading for fun?"

"No, not fun. I just want to know more about them. I don't really want to know about ones I'm not going to encounter every day, if that helps"

Her face brightened considerably "It does," She said as she skipped off to a row pretty far away. He blushed and followed suit, all the while wondering what kind of alternate universe he seemed to land himself in. When he caught up to her, she was on a stool, reaching for a thick red book covered in dust. Draco's allergies weren't going to like that. "Here, this one is great if you're just learning about them. And they only have the basic ones in the area. No foreign ones. It should be just what you need."

"Uh, thanks." He said as he took the book awkwardly out of her hand.

"Harry told me you helped him during detention." She spurted randomly.

"...Just a little." He said as he turned to leave.

"You're different" She said quietly. He turned and looked at her still standing on the stool.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Granger. Thanks for the book." He said as he practically ran out the library.

Only to run into a familiar green eyed face.

"Malfoy," The silky voiced said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, again with the idiotic questions. Why does one usually go to the library?" He asked as he held up the thick red book Hermione had fetched for him. This made Harry blush, which made Draco's stomach feel weird.

"Sorry I didn't notice that. And I assumed you'd be at Hogsmede"

"I didn't go." Draco said sourly. He had looked forward to the Hogsmede trip and missed it all because his roommates were big enough assholes to not wake him up.

"Why not?" Harry asked sadly.

_Sadness?_ Draco thought as he noticed the sadness in Harrys voice. _What the Hell!_ "I over slept." He said turning to leave.

"Hey wait," Harry called, as he fished for something in his bag. "Here," He said as he held out a chocolate frog.

"What?" Draco asked, dumbly staring at the little golden box in Harrys open palm.

"I want you to have it. It's not jinxed or anything"

"Why?"

"Well I know you like them. I see you eating them all the time. Plus, it's my way of saying thanks for helping me out in detention yesterday." He said with that brilliant smile of his. Draco felt his cheeks go warm as he reached out to take the box.

"Thanks" Draco mumbled. Harry's smile grew wider.

"Just don't think we're friends now, Malfoy." He said as he turned and walked into the library, leaving Draco standing there with his silver, blonde hair contrasting to his rather red face.

* * *

><p>Yeah, so there's chapter one of my first fanfic! I'm not sure if I'm liking it though. : I think everyone is too out of character. And I didn't brush up on my Harry Potter knowledge before writing this, so let's just pretend it's its own year.

Leave a review and let me know if you like it!

Oh! And when I started this, I had every intention of making Draco seme...but I think he's turning more uke as the story progresses...what do you think?

THANKS FOR READING :)


	2. Chapter 2

Summer Again  
>Chapter 2<p>

The mansion wasn't at all how he had remembered it to be. Sure, he didn't have the fondest memories here, but it was home. Now, as he stood peering up at it from the driveway, it didn't feel like home. It harbored some sort of dark aura. His eyes found their way to the front door, where his mother stood, ready to welcome him home. He took one last deep breath before he trudged up the walk and enveloped her in a hug.

"I've missed you, my son." She murmured into his hair. He couldn't help but smile. Maybe this Christmas wouldn't be such a bad one.

That thought was quickly shot down as he smelled the familiar scent of peppermint. However, the smell wasn't what shot his hopes down; it was the person he associated the smell with. He opened his eyes to find his father, waiting inside. His familiar blonde hair trailing down his back, and the fake smile plastered onto his face.

"Hello father." Draco acknowledged as he walked inside, his mother following closely behind. "When were you released? I thought I would be sent a letter." He didn't hide the annoyance in his voice.

"Well, my son, that is because I was only released two days ago." He replied in his usual half-whisper. "And I didn't want to bother with an owl when I knew you would be here in such a short time."

Draco gave a 'Humph' sound as he looked around. Not much had changed inside. Perhaps it was a bit cleaner, but nothing out of the norm. "I'll just take my things to my room, then."

"Don't be silly. We'll have a maid do that for you." Lucius said as he placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Instead, why don't you come to the kitchens and have a cup of tea while you unwind from your journey. Surely you're exhausted." His mother said, coming to from the door to face him.

"Actually, I am exhausted. I don't need tea; I should just like a rest."

"Do as your mother instructed." Lucius cut in, his voice even harsher than normal.

"Lucius, if he is tired, then perhaps he should rest. He will be of no use to anyone tired-"

"Enough!" Lucius commanded. Draco realized he was trying to keep his voice down. But why? He was the head of the household, and he never bothered to keep it down before. "Now, we will adjourn to the kitchen and we shall all have some tea." With that he strode off in the direction of the kitchen.

Narcissia gave Draco a sad look, as she took his hand walked with him as, they too, went to the kitchen.

The silence was almost tangible as they sat around the counter, occasionally sipping on tea. Obviously Draco's parents wanted to talk about something, but didn't know how to begin. Draco was intent not to make the first move, so he looked around the kitchen. He never spent much time in here, apart from when he helped Chef make dinner once out of pure boredom.

"So, Draco, how is school going?" Narcissia finally decided on asking. Draco nodded his head before answering,

"It's fine."

More silence stretched on for what seemed like hours. Finally, he could take it no longer.

"Alright, what is it, then? Out with it." Lucius seemed to be about to reprimand Draco for using such a tone with his parents, but thought better of it.

"We are expecting a guest any minute now. He requested that you be here to greet him."

"Guest?" Draco asked his mother. He didn't play these games with his father. However, Narcissia looked to Lucius for help and the conversation was in his grasp again.

"Someone you have met long ago."

"Enough with these games, father. Please, just tell me who he is so I can be on my way."

"We are expecting…the Dark Lord,"

There were several things Draco didn't like at that moment. He didn't like the way his tea smelled. He didn't like who, he was told, would be staying with them for Christmas. He didn't like the chocked sob that his mother gave when his father said 'the Dark Lord'. And most of all, he didn't like the 'pop' sound that came seconds after his father finished his sentence.

The Dark Lord stood in his kitchen with an evil grin slowly spreading across his face. Lucius jumped up immediately and bowed, Narcissia was only seconds after.

"My Lord, welcome to my home. Please, make yourself comfortable" Lucius said after his bow.

"Draco," the Dark Lord called, ignoring Lucius completely. "Why haven't you acknowledged my presence yet?" His tone of voice wasn't threating, only curious. Draco looked up at the pale man in black robes and inclined his head slightly.

"Welcome, my Lord." He said through gritted teeth. He hoped it went unnoticed, but he feared what he would say should he relax them. He didn't trust this man, and he loathed the fact that he would be staying here with him for a week and a half.

The Dark Lords laugh erupted throughout the kitchen. The tiled room was a perfect conductor of sound. "You are indeed your father's son!" He said through his laughter. Once he calmed down a bit, he strode over to stand next to the scowling silver haired boy. He stuck out a long cold finger and placed it on Dracos chin. "No matter, you will be broken soon enough." Draco yanked his face out of the Dark Lords grasp and hopped off his bar stool.

"I wish I could stay and be a better host, but I am far too tired. I wish to retire, father." Draco said as he faced his father.

"You will do no such thing! Ho-" Lucius' face was growing redder at having been interrupted.

"Now, now, Lucius. The boy is tired, and I do not wish to detain him from a proper nights rest. Let him go," The Dark Lord said calmly as he took a sip of Draco's tea. Lucius simply nodded and Draco was gone.

He slowly lifted his eyelids to find darkness. He was still half asleep, so at first thought, he assumed he went blind. But upon further investigation, he realized it was night. He flipped on his light switch and pulled on a pair of shorts before exiting his room. His house was void of any activity, so he made his way to the study.

"Ah, the sleeping prince has finally awoken." Draco froze in his tracks as he saw the Dark Lord sitting at his father's desk with a book perched in his lap. "It's been nearly two days. I assumed you would sleep your whole visit away." His voice was menacing and it somehow managed to chill Draco to the bone.

"Forgive my intrusion. I thought everyone was asleep." Draco said, inkling his head again.

"I do not sleep. " He rose from his chair and stepped in front of the desk, peering at Draco with an interesting gaze. "You do not bow to me." He observed.

Draco shook his head. "I mean no disrespect, my Lord."

"No disrespect was taken. I admire your strength, your…strong willed personality." He laughed as he leaned back on the desk "One must only question which gene pool you inherited it from."

"I am just as strong willed as my father," The silver haired boy mumbled.

"I disagree. Your father is not as defiant as you are. You even refuse to wear a shirt in my presence. You're a very brave young person."

Draco awkwardly realized that he had, in fact, neglected to put a shirt on. "Forgive my indecency." He turned on his heels and left the room. But not before he hear the Dark Lord say,

"You will be a hard one to break."

He pretended he didn't hear it, and continued walking back to his room where he lay in bed until morning. At which time, he decided he had better write Pansy and wish her a happy Christmas. It was a short letter, and he didn't even bother putting much emotion into it. Sure, they were 'dating' but that didn't mean he had to kiss her ass. Quite frankly, he didn't even care for her that much. He was only dating her because people expected him to. He sent the letter off with Nigel, the black owl that belonged to him when he first started Hogwarts. Nigel caught a disease, however and sent him back home, where he regained his health and was now doing just fine. But Draco didn't want to risk another infection, so he refused to take Nigel back.

He got a couple of presents, nothing extravagant or worth mentioning. He had told his parents long ago that that idea of giving gifts on Christmas was a waste of time and money, to which his father could only agree with. Narcissia still always insisted on getting him at least a few, and Draco couldn't complain. She was his mother, after all. The Dark Lord was, luckily, absent during this holiday and only appeared at dinner time. The dining table was filled with all kinds of food and smells that filled Draco's nose with pure delight. His stomach growled as he smelled honey glazed ham; one of the best smells, in his opinion. He took a seat and ate happily despite the fact he was sitting at the same table as the Dark Lord; the one person he despised most of all.

"Enjoying the food, Draco?" The Dark Lord asked, amused. Draco merely glared at him.

"Our son has a very gifted sense of smell, my Lord." Lucius interjected, noticing his son's rude behavior and directing the attention away from it. "He sometimes loses himself in scents he enjoys."

"Ah," He said, refocusing on Draco. "So tell me, what are your favorite smells?"

Draco had every intention of ignoring the question, but his father gave him a deathly glare from across the table that seemed to say: 'answer the question or you'll be spending the rest of your days in the dungeon'. So he said, "I love many different smells."

"But no favorite?" He asked sadly.

"I suppose the smell of honey glazed ham is my favorite right now, my Lord." Draco replied flatly, taking another bite of his dinner. The Dark Lord only laughed.

"Quite defiant, indeed." He smiled. "And it's Voldemort."

Draco was quite confused at the notion of using his name, but accepted it anyway. 'The Dark Lord' was a mouth full. So he nodded his head and continued eating.

A faint knock came to his door, conveniently right before he fell asleep. He sighed loudly and called "Come in," He sat up, and saw Lucius enter.

"We're you asleep?" He asked, without an ounce of concern or interest in his voice. Draco nodded and rubbed his head. "I want to talk about the Dark Lord with you for a moment."

"He asked we call him Voldemort," Draco corrected, without even thinking before he spoke.

"No, he asked _you_ call him Voldemort. And this concerns me." He closed his eyes for a moment, to gather his thoughts, before continuing. "I think…he has taken a liking to you."

"A liking?" Why would Voldemort single him out? He's nothing special. "Why would he take a liking to me? I don't even have the mark."

"I don't know why it is as such. However, this could be very helpful for our family. We could be protected for the rest of our lives if you suck up your dammed pride and let him take interest in you"

"Let him…? Father you make seem like he wants to-"

"I told you. I don't know what he wants. But whatever it is, you had better let it happen. For the sake of your family. Good night." He said as he shut the door behind him, ending their conversation. Draco rolled his eyes as he lay back down.

_For the sake of my family. _He inwardly scoffed. _My family has officially gone to the dogs_

Draco sat down in one of the few empty compartments in the train and closed his eyes. He was thrilled to be going back to Hogwarts. Well, he was thrilled to be away from home, and by extension, Voldemort. A disturbance in the air to the left caused him to open an eye. The plump red head walked past his compartment mumbling about something. He reclosed his eye and thought about what Voldemort wanted from him. He couldn't possibly-

"Um, can I sit here?" His thoughts were cut off as the voice filled his compartment. He nodded; knowing who it was without having to open is eyes. "Thanks."

He had hoped to go back to his thoughts, but that was a wasted effort, seeing as Ron was adamant on making as much noise as possible. Draco sighed and sat up to see Ron having trouble with placing his trunk above the bench.

"Need some help?" Draco asked flatly, not really wanting to help, just wanting to get back to his contemplation.

"Yeah, thanks."

He helped Ron with his trunk and resumed sitting on his side of the compartment and fished for something in his bag. Once he had his chocolate frog, he sat back and enjoyed his ride. That is, until Ron opened his mouth…

"Where'd you get that?" He asked excitedly.

* * *

><p>Aww Ron wants a frog too. :(<p>

So yeah, I was gonna keep writing, but then I got lazy and didn't want to write anymore...plus I don't like cliffhangers. :/ I'm probably gonna have to use them though, according to BoogerBreath. Nice name, by the way.  
>Storys kind of boring so far, but it'll get better, don't worry.<p>

Thanks for the review, Devil Subaru Chan. I hope you like this chapter :)

Bubbie, I'm still lazy, so I'll just reply to your PM here. :)  
>It was the owl! Who would've thought? And, I've never seen it, but I'll look into it if you send me a link.<p>

SO ANYWAY, hopefully I'll have another chapter up tomorrow.

Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Summer Again  
>Chapter 3<p>

He took a seat under a tree and waited. For what, he wasn't sure, but he felt like he had to be here. Something was calling him to this spot and he wouldn't leave for anything. Not even the chilling wind that carried flakes of snow could make him leave. Though…it _was_ cold. He brought his knees up to his chest and rubbed his palms together; a feeble attempt at generating heat.

Crunch, crunch, crunch. The sound was steadily approaching to his right. He glanced up to see Harry carrying a cup of something steaming. He was wearing his Gryffindor scarf wrapped tightly around his neck and he had on thick gloves.

"What are you doing out here dressed like that?" He asked as he knelt down beside Draco. "Do you have a death wish, or something?"

"Shove off, Potter." A smile spread across Harrys face.

"You've been stood up, haven't you? By who? Pansy?"

"You're awfully nosey for someone who is supposed to be perfect."

"Never claimed to be a perfect. I'm just here to save everyone." He said with an even larger smile as he decided to sit and make himself comfortable. Draco tried to analyze him for a moment. There was sadness in his eyes, despite the smile plastered on his face. He was good at hiding his feelings, but Draco could see past it. "So what are you doing out here, then?"

"I don't know. I just wanted to be here. Does that upset you?" He asked angrily. The smell of hot chocolate filled his nose. He looked over at the gloved hands holding the steaming cup, and felt even colder that he did before.

"Kind of. I like to sit here when it snows." He leaned against the tree as Draco gave him a 'Humph' sound. "Here," Draco looked up to see Harry offering his cup. "It'll warm you." Draco took it reluctantly, and sniffed it. It smelled normal, so he risked himself a sip. The warmth flowed through his body like a river. Pleasing him inside, out.

"Thanks," He said as he tried to hand it back, but Harry insisted he keep it.

"How was your holiday?"

Draco thought on that a moment. "Uneventful." He decided on saying. He couldn't very well tell the boy that he spent it with Lord Voldemort, could he? "How was yours?"

Harry laughed, and then shook his head sadly. "It was really lonely." Draco felt pity for him for the first time. It pained him somewhere inside his chest and he didn't like it.

"Where were Weasley and Granger? Why didn't you spend it with them?"

"Ron was at his house with his family. He wanted me to go, but I would have just felt like a burden. And Hermione, same deal. Though, I think in the end she spent her holiday at Ron's…" He said as if he was just thinking about it now for the first time.

"Well, Happy Christmas, Potter, even if it's a week late." Draco said as he stood up. "I'm freezing my arse off, so I'm going inside. Thanks for the drink," He said as he returned the cup.

"You don't want to stay?" Harry asked sadly, taking the empty cup and placing it beside him.

Draco shook his head, "Like is said, I'm freezing my arse off,"

Harry mumbled incoherently. Then his face brightened as he took off his scarf and gloves and offered them to Draco. "Here, take them."

Draco was confused. Harry wanted him to stay here with him? And even more, he was offering his own protection from the cold to him? "What about you, then?" He asked not taking the offered protectants.

"It's fine, I've got a heavy coat." He shook his hand, urging Draco to take them. He did, and sat back down.

"So I get the feeling you want to talk about something." The gloves were especially warm from having been on Harry's hands moments before. He was reluctant about putting on the scarf, so he gave that back to Harry with a faint smile.

"Yeah, I do." Harry replied as he wrapped the scarf back around his neck. "You seem really different. What's up?"

"What do you mean? I haven't changed."

Harry gave him a disbelieving look, "The fact that you're sitting here with me right now proves otherwise." Draco sighed, but didn't reply. "Why aren't we fighting?"

"I don't know," Draco replied honestly. "I think I've just realized there's more to life than being an ass."

Harry laughed at that, but then became serious almost immediately after. "Are you okay?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…You're not yourself, you hardly ever hang out with Crabbe and Goyle, and…" He thought for a second before finishing, "You seem sad."

"I am myself, Crabbe and Goyle are worthless companions, and I'm perfectly not sad." He said, hastily countering every point Harry tried to make.

"Not sad?" Harry repeated with a half-smile. "But not happy either."

Draco shook his head. "How could I be happy?" He didn't think before he opened his mouth. He was becoming frustrated with himself. He hardly ever thought before he spoke anymore.

"Well…why wouldn't you be?" Harry was very good at getting other people to open up, that much Draco had learned. He hardly had to say anything to get someone to spill their emotions. _It's probably those damn eyes. _Draco thought sourly.

"My life is Hell, Potter. And there's no way I can change it." He sighed loudly, "And if there's one thing I can't stand, it's not being in control of me."

Harry nodded sadly. "Believe it or not, but I know how you feel. Granted, your situation may be more…threating right now." Draco's eyes widened. How had Harry figured out what he was talking about? Was he that obvious? He didn't say anything that gave it away, though… "But in the long run, we're pretty much in the same boat."

Draco continued to stare at Harry with disbelief. Harry, of course, didn't notice. He was staring a hole through another tree not too far away. The snow had stopped, and it was altogether pleasant outside. Then Harry suddenly turned to look at Draco with a brilliant smile.

"All the more reason to not hate each other, right?" Draco could only stare even more as Harry stood up and offered a hand to help him up. Draco took it and was soon face to face with Harry. "If you ever want to talk, I'm here." Another smile. "Literally, this is my favorite spot to think." Draco smiled back as he looked at his watch; it was almost time for class.

"I should go," He said as he back off in the direction of the Transfiguration classroom. "See you,"

He cursed himself as he sat alone in the common room. It was dinner time, so everyone was at the Great Hall, apart from himself, obviously. He still couldn't wrap his head around what happened today. Had he and Potter become friends? Harry knew of Dracos reluctance towards his future, which would probably come back to bite him in the arse, but he felt better. He felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders and he could now breathe again. He knew he was still in the same position as he was before his chat with Harry, but he felt like just having someone to complain to, who could understood what he was going through, was enough to relieve his stress completely.

The issue of Voldemort still remained however. He had sent Draco a letter this evening and had Nigel deliver it. The letter was extremely cordial, which scared Draco on a number of different levels. His father's words still rang in his head, so he knew he had better reply, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He was in a very awkwardly fragile situation. The slightest wrong move could end in disaster.

He held the quill above the paper as he thought about what he should say. He never enjoyed writing letters. He found them to be tedious. Unless, of course, they were urgent. But this was not an urgent letter. It was filled with 'How are you doing?' and 'Are you passing your classes?' He threw the pen down and paced the common room floor. Why was this so difficult? He should simply answer every question he asked in a friendly manner. But why was Voldemort so intent on making a friendship with him? Did he know about Draco's relationship with Harry?

He scoffed; what relationship? They merely had a chat. Nothing more. But still, what if this was about Harry? What if Voldemort was planning on using him to get to Harry? Anger flowed through his veins. He couldn't possibly allow that. He plopped himself back down at the desk and wrote furiously fast.

_Caleb, _He used Voldemort's code name for writing letters.

_School is going as expected. I enjoy this place immensely. The teachers are all very knowledgeable and Dumbledore runs it well. _

_You asked about Crabbe and Goyle in your letter, and I must say, they are not well. They insist this school has gone to the dogs. They do not take any classes seriously, unless it benefits them in a negative way. They are very evil, those two._

_Anyway, other than that, everything is going fine. _

_I hope my house is accommodating you._

_Sincerely, _

_Draco._

He smiled to himself as he sealed the letter. It was brilliant. He would pass himself off to be unfitting for the Dark Lords affection, while shining some light on others. He only hoped Voldemort would take the bait and like one of those two oafs more.

He ran up the stairs to the owlry, practically falling several times before he made it to the top. The smell of birds filled his nose; he found it difficult to breathe properly. He hated the way birds smelled. Especially when they were all confined to a room together…disgusting. He immediately spotted Nigel and whistled for him. The dark bird flew from its perch and landed its self on Dracos shoulder.

"Hey, Nigel." He cooed as he stoked the bird's neck. "Take this back to the house for me," He said as he placed the letter in his beak. Nigel wiggled the letter in Dracos face before flying off. As he watched him fly, he spotted another owl. It was snow white and it was glancing at him from high above. "You're Hedwig, right?"

The owl chirped as it hopped closer. Its limp was obvious as he stumbled a few times. "What's happened to your leg?" Draco asked when the bird was in reach. He held out his arm and Hedwig hopped onto it, chirping quietly as if talking back. "Does Harry know about this?" He walked over to a stack of hay and shooed away a couple other birds before placing Hedwig on it. "You stay there; I'm going to go find Harry."

The only problem was that he didn't know where Harry was. He had checked the Great Hall first, but it was empty. So either he was in his common room, or somewhere around the castle. He waited outside the common room for a few minutes before Neville Longbottom showed up. He eyed Draco nervously and kept walking.

"Hey, wait, I need your help." Draco said as he ran up beside Neville, who flinched.

"W-with what?" He was scared. Neville was scared of him. He didn't like that one bit, and made an oath to make it up to him, but right now he needed to find Harry.

"Can you go in there," He pointed to the portrait of the fat lady, "And see if Harrys there?"

Neville gave him a confused look before nodding his head and disappearing behind in the portal.

It took him a good five minutes before he returned, alone.

"It took you five minutes to come back alone?" Draco asked, annoyed, and this seemed to only make Neville even more nervous. He looked at his feet before answering.

"I wanted to ask around…to s-see if anyone had seen him…"

"And?" Draco asked, urging him on "Have they?"

He shook his head sadly and Draco sighed. "Fine, thanks for your help," Then he took off to Hagrids hut. _He's always with that bloody oaf_, Draco reasoned as he ran down the cobble stoned path. He stopped just outside the door and listened for voices. He heard none apart from the occasional snore, which he assumed was Fangs. He peeked inside a window to confirm that it was empty.

He sighed as he started to walk back to the Owlry. He couldn't find Harry, but that didn't mean he couldn't try to help Hedwig. He always had a soft spot for animals, especially ones as beautiful as Hedwig. Then, stopped dead in his tracks and cursed himself for being such an idiot.

"_If you ever want to talk, I'm here. Literally, this is my favorite spot to think,"_ Draco smiled as the voice rang through his head. It was a very nice voice to hear, and Draco found himself wanting to hear it more and more. Before he even realized where he was going, or the fact that he was running, he could see Harry sitting under the tree. He slowed himself to a walk as he approached and Harry made no sign of noticing.

"Potter." Draco called as he lowered himself to eye level. That's when he realized Harry was asleep. _Who the Hell could sleep in freezing weather like this? He_ stared at Harry in disbelief. He watched Harrys peaceful face, and the steady rise and fall of his chest before calling to him again. "Potter, wake up."

Harry only mumbled and turned away. Draco found himself smiling as he reached out and shook Harrys shoulder.

"Wake up," That seemed to do the trick as Harrys eyes slowly opened and fell on Draco.

"Draco?" Harrys voice was laced with sleep as he said Dracos name, and the—wait. He just used Draco's name. "What are you doing here?"

Draco opened and closed his mouth several times, trying desperately to say something. Anything. He had never heard Harry use his name before and he loved it. He wanted to hear it over and over again. Then he remembered why he was here and became serious. "Did you know Hedwig has an injury?"

The look on Harrys face was priceless as he tried to piece together what was being said. Obviously, he was in a deep sleep and his mind hadn't fully turned on yet. But when it did, the reaction was completely unexpected.

* * *

><p>Ha! Cliffhanger. How do you like that, BoogerBreath? (I feel like such a kid when I write that)<p>

So, I have an idea about what I want to do later on in the story, I just have to figure out how to get there, so I filled this chapter with useless happenings. :)

And how awesome is Voldemorts code name? Caleb. It's so non-threatening.

Devil Subaru Chan, Voldemorts mega creepy, so who knows what he's thinking? And thanks so much for the reviews. At least I know someone's reading. :)

Bubbie, Of course you can call me Caden. It IS my name, after all. and sure, send me the link whenever you want. And I know you want longer chapters, but I spent all day at the mall today, and basically had to write this in an hour. :(

LEAVE SOME REVIEWS, PEOPLE.  
>And thanks for reading!<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Summer Again  
>Chapter 4<p>

"This is all your fault!" Harry yelled as he jumped to his feet. His eyes were filled with rage as they looked at Draco, who could only stand there dumbly with his index finger to his chest, silently asking 'Me?' "Yes you!" Harry erupted. "Where is he?"

Draco could feel his eyes were bigger than his face, as he said "The…owlry…"

Harry shot him one more hate filled glace, and then he was gone. "How is this my fault?" He asked himself as he stared down at the footprints in the snow. He wanted to move, he wanted to follow Harry and help him in any way he could. But he couldn't bring himself to take the first step. The look on Harrys face filled his mind's eye and he felt like a knife had been plunged through his stomach.

He didn't know how long he stood there, but when he looked down at the ground, he saw that Harry's footprints were covered up with fresh snow. He took a deep breath and slowly walked inside the castle. He was greeted by Crabbe and Goyle and he felt annoyance take control of his body.

"What the Hell are you staring at?" He snapped. Crabbe looked at his shuffling feet and Goyle looked confused.

"Draco, what's wrong with you? Where have you been? You look frozen solid." Pansy had come up behind him and gingerly placed a hand on his shoulder. He shrugged it away.

"I was outside." He said as he started his walk to the common room. He was alone for about three minutes before Pansy walked in and slapped him across the face.

"I don't know what is up with you, Draco Malfoy, but it had better change." She used here most threatening voice, which made Draco smirk.

"Or what?" He asked, egging her on.

"Or… I'll tell your father!" Draco laughed.

"I don't give a damn about my father, Pansy." He said as he looked back into the fire.

"Then…I'll break up with you." She said it with a certain amount of uncertainty in her voice, and he decided to play her on it.

"Oh, will you? Let's see it then." When nothing happened he looked up with his pale grey eyes. "No? Nothing? Alright then, I'll make it easier for you." He stood up and looked down at her. "We're over."

A sharp gasp burst through her lips and her eyes were already starting to moisten. He shook his head and walked up to the boy's dormitory, where he lay in bed. Why did Harry go off on him like that? How could he be responsible for Hedwig's injury? He was never at the Owlry, so there was no way that accusation made sense.

Unless, maybe, Hedwig and Nigel got in a fight…but Harry was sleeping under a tree, so how would he know? Draco sighed and buried his head under his pillow; he could already feel a headache coming on.

"Hey," The voice had barely finished speaking when the pillow was ripped off Dracos face. He looked up to see Blaise staring at him with hard eyes. "What the Hell did you do to Pansy?"

"Shove off Blaise, not now." Blaise growled a ferocious growl and punched Draco in the jaw.

"Tell me, _Draco_." He spat the name and lifted Draco to his face by grabbing onto his shirt "Where do you get off breaking an innocent girls heart like that? All she did was care for you. You. Ass." He punched Draco twice more as he finished the sentence. Blood filled Draco's mouth and he spat it to the side, he didn't care if it stained his sheets, the taste was unbearable. "As far as I'm concerned, you're no longer one of us. Then again, you already made that decision for yourself, once you started hanging with _Potter_."

"I'd hang with Potter over you any day," Draco slurred, and immediately regretted it. Each muscle ached in protest as he spoke.

"Cheeky little bugger," Blaised mused. "You've not had enough? Very well."

Punch after punch, Draco didn't show any sign of self-defense. He simply took the beating. What was there to do, anyway? Blaise outweighed him in physical strength. And besides…he felt like he deserved it.

The punches were getting worse, and he wished it would end soon. He continually fought the urge to cry out in protest. He wasn't going to show any signs of weakness. Finally, however the pain got to him and he let out a groan. This seemed to please Blaise, and he dropped Draco back down on the bed.

He left without another word and Draco reached up to his face. He winced as his fingers roamed over the spot that took the most punches. It was sore at the slightest touch. He then felt his nose. It didn't feel broken, but it was bloody and painful. He contemplated going to the Hospital wing, but what would he say when he got there? He touched his face once more.

_Screw it, _He thought as he got up, threw on a shirt and walked to the common room. The mass of students all seemed to drop what they were doing immediately as Draco entered. He gave each of them a scowl as he walked out. _I can't look that bad…_He thought as he passed a portrait who gasped, and looked away when they made eye contact. He felt a tear make its way down his bruised cheek as he continued on.

"What the bloody Hell happened to you?" Ron asked. Draco looked over at him and scowled.

"What does it look like?"

"Looks like you got your ass kicked."

Draco scoffed as he rolled over. He had spent last night in the Hospital wing to avoid further damage to his face. Madam Pomphrey had fixed his nose and managed to heal a couple of scratches, but there was nothing she could do about the bruising. Ron had just walked in. Apparently he had some incident with a Cornish Pixie. He should hardly be throwing stones, Draco thought. He was going to be released today and he loathed it immensely. Where could he go? He wasn't welcome in his own house, and Harry was obviously intent on never speaking to him again.

"Hey, do you know how Hedwig is doing?" Draco asked suddenly. Ron looked confused for a moment, but then nodded his head.

"Yeah, he's doing fine. How'd you know about that?"

"I found him in the owlry."

Ron's eyes grew wide, "So…you were the one, then?"

"The one what?" Draco asked, hoping he was going to get an answer on why Harry had gone off on him.

"The one who wrote Harry the threat," Draco tried to question Ron further, but only received a head shake in return. On top of it all, Pansy was probably the last person he wanted to see.

She had come in, slowly peeking her head around the corner, and then awkwardly coming to stand at the side of his bed. "Blaise…told me what happened." She said sadly. Draco rolled his eyes. _How noble. _"I'm sorry," She whispered. "Why won't you talk to me?"

"I have nothing to say," He replied as he closed his eyes and readied himself for a nap.

"Fine, but don't come crying to me when you have no one to talk to," That simple sentence was all it took to send Draco over the edge. She was right; he had no one to talk to. He had single handedly made sure of that. The fact that Harry was upset with him was what hurt the most. He was so close to having an actual friend, and it was all blown away over something he didn't even understand. All he had left were Crabbe and Goyle, and honestly, they're not worth much in the friendship department.

Not bothering to go to his classes, he simply walked every hall of Hogwarts until he found himself at the Owlry. He shrugged and walked up the steps. The fumes, again, made it difficult to breathe, but he found who he was looking for. Hedwig was perched on a beam high above his head. He noticed his leg seemed to be wrapped in bandages. He cried when he noticed Draco, but didn't try to go towards him like last time.

Suddenly, his own bird appeared in his vision. He had a letter strapped to his leg. Draco was reluctant about taking it at first, but decided he really had no choice. He pulled off the string and unfolded the letter covered in snake-like handwriting.

_Draco,_

_Your letter concerned me. If Crabbe and Goyle are not worthy companions, who do you have to talk to? Although I am pleased to hear you're passing your classes, surely you must be lonely. Anyway, I still have that present for you, the one you refused to accept at our last meeting. I must urge you to take it now. I can feel that my plans are being corrupted and there is no more time I can give you. I have talked to your father and he strongly agrees; now is the time. Once you have my gift, you will no longer need to worry. I will handle everything for you._

_Up until now, I have been extremely generous to you. I have allowed you many privileges no one else would even be allowed to think about. With this bond that I have forged for us, I feel that you and I have emerged on a whole different level. One that, I'm sure, neither of us is accustomed to. I hope you understand, Draco, that there has never been a better time to be on my side. And to be on my side with such a high rank, is something I trust you will not easily pass up._

_It is a simple decision. I'm sure you will make the right one. All you have to do is accept my gift._

_Caleb_

He scoffed as he read the letter. He would never take the Dark Mark. He shoved it into his pocket and made a mental note to throw it in the fire as soon as he found one. It was getting to be around dinner time, but he wasn't hungry. He hardly ever ate any more. So, he started to walk again. He had no destination in mind, which is why he ended up at the courtyard. He heard people talking, so he hid behind a wall and listened. He recognized both voices immediately.

"He's fine now. He left before I did," Ron said, almost inaudibly.

"Was it bad?" Harry asked. _Are they talking about me?_

"Well…yeah. The whole left side of his face is a massive bruise. Apparently he lost a tooth, too." Draco subconsciously ran his tongue along his teeth and found the gap. It was unnoticeable to anyone who wasn't searching inside his mouth, but he still intended to get it fixed.

"Did he say anything about who did it?"

Draco had enough of sulking in the shadows and came out into the light. He kept walking, as if he was just passing through (which technically he was) and couldn't help but look up at Harry who was staring back. How had it come to this? Just looking into those green eyes was enough to make Draco feel like he had found a natural high. But to know that those green eyes held nothing but hate for him was enough to make him feel like life wasn't worth living.

He rounded a corner and leaned against a wall. Why was he feeling so utterly horrible? He felt like he had nowhere else to go. He slid down the wall and buried his face in his knees. The warm tears flowing freely into the fabric of his pants. He was eventually found by a Ravenclaw girl a year or two younger than himself. She offered him a tissue and continued on her way.

"Malfoy, wake up." Draco slowly opened his eyes to see Professor Snape kneeling beside him. "What happened to your face?"

Draco didn't answer as he sat up and looked around. It was late, and he was lying outside of the courtyard.

"Why are you here?"

Draco looked up at the black orbs before answering, "I have nowhere else to go."

Snape scoffed as he looked down at Draco. "For god sakes, boy, you're in a boarding school, not the streets. You have a bed, I suggest you use it."

Draco shook his head. "I'm not welcome there."

"I don't give a damn where you are and are not welcome. It is against the rules to be outside your dorm at this hour. I'll have to deduct points from my own house, and you know how much I loathe that." He rose to his feet and looked down at Draco expectantly. "Do I have to make some detentions as well?"

Draco shook his head as he stood also. He followed the tail of his professors long black cloak and found himself out side of his dorm. He nodded to Snape and entered. He stared at the fire for a moment, contemplating his situation. He felt the weight Harry had removed once, make itself known again and there was the feeling like a heavy rock was sitting in his stomach. Luckily, everyone was asleep so he threw the letter in the fire, quietly undressed and hopped in bed. He closed his eyes as he felt the sensation the silk sheets made as they caressed his legs. It was probably the happiest he felt all week.

He was alone now. And he will always be alone. He realized that he was no longer being protected by someone. Usually, he had his gang protect him. Or the mere threat of his father. But now he had neither of those. Well, he was sure he wouldn't have his father when word got out of his ignoring Voldemort's letter.

He felt an unfamiliar sense of self-determination as he walked up to the Gryffindor table the very next day at breakfast. He had to start somewhere, and he really wanted that somewhere to be here.

* * *

><p>This wasn't nearly as dark as I wanted it to be. : I was going to rewrite it, but I'm not in the mood. Hope its okay.

And I've never been punched before...so that was just awkward to write.

Devil Subaru Chan, I wish I could give you a hint, but I really have no idea where I'm taking this story. Ha, so I guess it'll be a surprise for everyone.

Bubbie, If you want longer chapters I wont be able to update every day... I'm not creative enough for a long, interesting chapter everyday.

Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

Summer Again  
>Chapter 5<p>

"I didn't do anything to Hedwig." He stated when Harry looked up at him from his plate. Ron was still eating, but listening intently, and Hermione probably didn't even notice he was standing there. When Harry didn't reply, he continued. "I just walked up to the Owlry one day and noticed him. I had nothing to do with it."

Harry blushed and looked back at his plate. Draco sighed and walked away. At least he tried. As he walked to the Slytherin table, he noticed Blaise glaring at him. He sat at the very end of the table alone. Crabbe and Goyle walked in moments later, looked at Draco, and continued walking. So he didn't even have the two oafs anymore. He shrugged, not much of a loss.

Even as he sat in a room filled with people, he felt like it was just him. Him and Harry. He kept staring at the green-eyed teens back, hoping he would turn around and give him that brilliant smile of his…but he never did. He was talking to Ron and he looked completely carefree. Draco envied him. He envied Ron immensely. To be able to make Harry be so carefree even in such troublesome times must have been bliss. He sighed as stared down at his potatoes instead. They were awfully mushy…just like how he felt. Whenever he was around Harry, or just generally thinking about him, he felt just like these potatoes. He sighed and dropped his fork. He looked up the table to see his old friends staring at him, and then they looked away in unison. If only he had Harry…if Harry were with him, he wouldn't mind being rejected by everyone else. He didn't know when he started to feel this way, but it felt right.

Finally, he had had enough of feeling the icy glares of his classmates and he left the Great Hall.

"Mr. Malfoy," The stone cold voice came from behind him, and he turned to find Professor Snape standing at the entrance doors to the Great Hall. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"I was just going for a walk, sir." Draco replied. Snape walked closer and stopped just far enough away to examine him.

"You have not eaten properly in weeks."

It was true, he couldn't remember the last time he had a proper meal. Plus, the last time he looked in the mirror he noticed he was becoming rather thin. Of course, the Malfoy's always maintained a naturally slim figure, but it was not healthy to be so skeletal.

"You haven't been attending your classes either," He looked down his hooked nose at the blonde boy, who suddenly took interest in his shoes. "Come with me, boy." He looked up to see Snape walking away. He considered it for a moment, but followed anyway.

They arrived at the potions classroom. Snape motioned for him to take a seat and he did so. Snape also sat, taking a seat next to him. "He knows of your discomfort." He said quietly. "He knows you ignored his letter, and he knows…your weak." Draco looked up at the black orbs.

"I'm not weak," He retorted defiantly. Snape scoffed as he poked Draco in the arm.

"You call this not weak? You're thin as paper, and you lack the common sense to feed yourself. You're the very definition of weak." Draco rolled his eyes and looked away. "How is your progression with the Dark Mark?"

Draco shook his head. "It's not progressing."

"You do not wish to take it?" Snape asked, disbelievingly. Draco continued to shake his head.

"I never wanted it. It's just…now I'm more honest about it. I would rather die than take the Mark." Snape studied him for a moment, then stood.

"Do you know what that means?" He asked as he walked over to the window that harbored the gunk and waved his wand to make it disappear. Then he opened the window and a soothing breeze flowed in. "It means you cannot return home. You cannot contact your parents ever again, and you will have to leave school. You'll have to fall of the grid, as muggles say. You need to disappear."

Draco had never thought about that. Sure, it made sense. After all, if he were to stay here Voldemort would kill him. His father probably would do it before Voldemort could get the chance, actually. He sighed and nodded in agreement. He would have to leave. "When do you think I should leave, then?"

Snape thought about that for a moment. "You should stay here, in school, until the year is over. Then you should go far away. And leave no traces of yourself behind. You must be undetectable when that time comes." Draco nodded throughout the sentence. Snape always made sense. He liked listening to him, too. He was one of the very few people Draco trusted. Though Snape had never said it, Draco knew whose side his professor was on and he admired him greatly. He was the bravest man Draco had ever met…apart from Harry…

"I should reply to his letter, then?"

Snape shook his head. "I can't tell you what to do there. Although, if I were you, I would wait until he sends another one, hopefully with a new topic."

"Thank you, Professor." Students filled in the classroom moments after and he sighed in relief. He didn't like talking about Voldemort. It set his teeth on edge. He would have to come up with a plan, though. He needed some kind of guide for when he needed to disappear.

"Silence," Snape demanded. The students immediately shut their mouths and paid attention. "For today's lesson, we will be learning how to-" He was interrupted by the sound of someone knocking on the door. Snape grew ridged as he walked over and answered it. Harry was panting on the other side.

"Sorry I'm late, Professor."

"5 points from Gryffindor." Snape replied as he stepped aside to allow Harry in. "Take a seat next to Mr. Malfoy." Draco nearly choked. He looked up and saw there were plenty of other seats he could sit at. Why did it have to be next to-…oh. Snape knows.

"B-but sir, you said we don't have assigned seats, and-"

"Now, _you_ do. Go," Snape demanded once more, pointing in Draco's direction. Draco sunk low in his chair, a blush steadily rising on his cheeks as Harry plopped down beside him. He was thrilled to be sitting next to Harry, but he was terrified of the terms. Harry wasn't too happy with him right now, and this couldn't be helping.

Snape continued with his lesson, but all Draco could focus on was the smell of almonds. Was that smell coming from Harry? It was the best scent he had ever experienced. It wasn't almonds alone, there was something else, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He didn't really try to, either. He was just focused on enjoying it.

The room split up into partners and worked on their potions. Harry and Draco were to remain seated and write lines about being on time to class. (Snape had informed Draco that being unreasonably early was just as unacceptable as being late)

Harry was the one to speak first, "Thank you," He mumbled loud enough for Draco to hear.

"Pardon?" Draco asked, barely containing his excitement to hear Harrys voice again.

"I said Thank you…for telling me about Hedwig."

"Oh, yeah. No problem." More awkward silence ensued for a while. Draco didn't mind it; at least Harry had talked to him.

"And I'm sorry. I thought you were the one to do it because-"

"Of the threatening letter?" Draco finished for him. Harrys eyed grew wide.

"How did you know about that?"

"Weasley slipped it to me," Draco said with a smirk. "Do you know who wrote it?"

Harry shook his head; they were both visibly relieved to be on speaking terms again. "No, but… I have it here, if you want to read it. Considering…it involves you and everything."

"Wait, what? It involves me?"

"Yeah, I thought you knew…You said Ron told you-"

"He didn't tell me what it was about,"

"Oh. Well, hold on," Harry said as he began rummaging through his very messy tote. Finally, after about five minutes, he pulled out a slip of paper. "Here,"

_Something of yours has been broken. Keep talking to him, and it will not be the only thing._

Draco read it over several times before handing it back. "And, I'm 'him'?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I got it after our little chat," Draco couldn't help but notice the smile on Harrys face as he said it, "It was under the tree, so I assumed you wrote it, but after some actual thought, I realized that you didn't write it, it was just about you."

"Well then I'm glad you put some actual thought in it. But I feel like I recognize this handwriting…"

"I was hoping you would. It could only be someone from your house,"

"And whys that?" Draco asked, faking an attitude.

"W-well…I didn't mean-" Draco couldn't keep his straight face and let his smile break free. Harry noticed this, and nudged him in the ribs. "So how are you doing?" Harry asked seriously.

Draco scoffed. "I'm perfectly fine."

"You sat by yourself today at lunch." He stated as he went back to writing lines.

"So?"

"Why?"

Draco rolled his eyes, "It doesn't concern you where I sit at lunch, Harry."

Harry smiled, "I think it does though,"

"Really. How so?"

"Well, for starters, you just used my name," An even bigger grin appeared on Harrys face as Draco's only contained a blush. "And, it's my fault."

Relieved at the change of subject, Draco questioned what he meant. Harry looked up at Draco and frowned. He ran a finger alone the bruise on his cheek. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt. If anything the touch made it feel better. "He did this 'cause you're talking to me?" He frowned even more when Draco didn't answer. He removed his hand and shook his head. "Slytherins," He mumbled under his breath.

They had a free period now, and decided to go to the Owlry together to check on Hedwig. They walked mostly in silence, just enjoying each other's company. Hedwig squawked loudly when he saw Harry and attempted to fly down towards him.

"Hey, hey," Harry laughed as he caught Hedwig, "You know you're not ready for flying yet,"

Just then, Nigel flew in from the ceiling, squawking loudly as he did so. Draco immediately tensed. Did he have to fly in _now?_

"Hey, that's your bird, right?" Harry asked and Draco nodded as he walked to the farthest corner and held his arm out for Nigel. Sure enough, there was the letter from Voldemort. He cursed under his breath and quickly shoved it into his pocket. He hoped Harry didn't notice.

"Who was that from?" Draco held back his urge to scream. He had just gotten Harry back…

"Um, my father," Draco replied. Harry smiled as he stood up and strode over to him.

"'Um, my father,'? Really?" He asked, mocking Draco, who scowled. "Who was it from?"

Draco shook his head, and gave him a look that clearly said 'drop it'.

Harry didn't drop it until the letter was in his hands. His face went from playful to completely pale as he read through it. Draco had no idea what it said; Harry was the first to read it.

"Harry?"

Harry only continued to stare at the paper. "You have to take the Dark Mark?"

"No," Draco said as he shook his head, suddenly becoming panicked. "No, I'm leaving as soon as school is out. I'm disappearing."

"What?" Harry finally looked up at him, his eyes were moist, but no tears were falling. "You're disappearing? When were you going to tell me?"

Draco shook his head again. "I wasn't. If I was going to leave, I couldn't bother you with it. No one could know…"

"So this has always been your plan? Just make me feel…and then just…just go?"

"What? No, Harry, I just made this plan today. It's either disappear, or take the mark…and I really don't want that."

"You don't have to disappear. " He shook his head before Draco could respond. "And you don't need to take the mark. I'll kill this bastard before he can ever threaten you again."

_Why are you doing this...?_

Draco felt suddenly warm, despite the freezing temperature outside. He smiled weakly at Harry, who stood there with shaking fists. Finally, he closed the distance between the two and wrapped his arms around a completely surprised Draco Malfoy. He nearly fainted as he took in the smells of Harry Potter. Almond was defiantly the strongest. But then there was a sweetness, like sugar. And something along the lines of Sage. He closed his eyes as he tried desperately to memorize the scent.

"You're not leaving my sight again." He whispered into Draco's hair. He pulled away to look Draco in the face. "Never again," He repeated as he placed a kiss on Draco's forehead. _Why are you doing this to me?_

He felt like he might faint, but he really didn't care. He had found bliss and he wanted to live it as long as possible. Harry wrapped his arms back around the blushing blonde boy, and squeezed even tighter. Almost as if he never wanted to let go...

_You're cruel._

* * *

><p>Everything just happened <strong>SO<strong> fast...

Devil Subaru Chan, he really is unfair, isn't he? ;)

Bubbie, the end is for you. Draco=Happy :)

Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

Summer Again  
>Chapter 6<p>

He kept his word, surprisingly. Despite being in different houses, he felt like Harry was always with him. He could feel the warmth of his touch as he lay in bed at night and the soothing sound of his voice when he sat in his common room. Draco had absolutely changed since he and Harry became close. He felt happier a lot more and he never sulked like he used to. He practically skipped to class, even.

Ron still hadn't grown accustomed to having Draco around all the time. Very seldom did they talk. And when they did, nothing was said. Draco didn't mind, though. As long as he had Harry he didn't care that he was now basically an outcast of the Slytherin table. (And most of the Gryffindors for that matter)

His bruise had healed nicely, and Harry pointed it out every five minutes. "You look a lot better," He'd say with a smile. Or, "I'm really glad your bruise is gone. I don't like seeing you hurt," He used the latter a lot when they were alone. Harry hadn't kissed him since the day in the Owlry, much to Draco's displeasure. He wondered if he had done something wrong, but never wanted to ask. Their relationship was on very weird terms at the moment. Draco hoped Harry had the same feelings he harbored, but he wasn't sure.

Harry _did_ kiss him, but it could have easily been mistaken for a friendly kiss. Just an 'I appreciate our friendship' token. He didn't want to ask because he feared he would lose him. _I'm fine with how things are, _He'd tell himself. _I only need to know that I can talk to him. _And it was true, it was all he needed. He could seal away his feelings, and only relish them when he was alone. Yes, he did have feelings for Harry. He could hide it no longer; it was too painful.

"I'm going to the library," Draco announced as he stood up from the Gryffindor table. He started eating here a while ago, with the permission of Dumbledore, of course. Harry looked up at him, confused.

"For what?" He asked, standing as well, "I'll go with you," He took one last bite of his chicken, before preparing himself to leave. Draco smiled and pushed him back down.

"I'll be fine, I kind of want to be alone for a while," Harry looked hurt for a moment, but nodded any way.

"Okay, just be careful, yes? And if dinner is over when you get back, we'll be at Hagrids, so go there, okay?"

Draco nodded and turned to leave. He glanced over at the Slytherin table and snickered, they were all staring at him. He assumed that's all they ever did. Just stared at 'Draco the Traitor'.

He walked to the library, enjoying the peace he finally had. He loved being around Harry, obviously. But it was nice to just be alone. He was always solitary growing up and having that change completely in the time of a week, was…awkward to say the least.

He sat at one of the tables and pulled out another letter Voldemort had sent him. Nigel had given it to him last night and Draco was very happy Harry hadn't been there. He didn't like it when Harry worried about him. He was about to break the letter open, when he heard someone come in.

"Draco?" A female voice, "Draco are you in here?" He looked up to see Pansy round a corner and smile when she saw him. "I saw you leave dinner, and hoped you'd be here."

"What do you want?" Draco asked, hiding the letter in a nearby book. "I'm kind of busy, here,"

"I know, I just wanted to see how you're doing…" She sat across from him with a smile.

"I'm doing really well, thank you. Now please excuse me." He picked up a book and started to read. It was filled with all kinds of historic dates.

"Do you mind if I work here?" She pulled out one of her own books and a couple sheets of paper. Draco looked up at her with a glare, and then returned to his book. Apparently peace and quiet was something that was never to be obtained. He glanced over to see what she was writing. Something about potions. Then he noticed it, her handwriting was familiar. Where had he seen it before? He shook his head and went back to his book.

"Hey you're good at potions, right? Is this formula correct?" Suddenly the sheet of paper was thrown into his face and he was forced to look at it. He nodded, silently telling her it was correct.

"Yeah, it's…wait let me see that again?" He took the paper and studied the handwriting. He remembered where he saw it last and suddenly became enraged. "It was you!" He yelled, crumbling the paper as he stood. "You wrote that note to Harry! You broke Hedwig's leg!"

The look on her face could only be described as terror, and rightfully so, in Dracos opinion. "I-I.."

"Shut up!" He yelled. He picked up a book and threw it across the room. He wanted to punch her. He wanted to break _her_ leg. But she was a girl, and he was better than that. He tried desperately to control his emotions. He paced the floor, pinching the bridge of his nose. "How could you?" He finally looked up at her when his anger was gone, leaving only disappointment and confusion. She shook her head and looked at down in her lap. "You're pathetic. Stay away from me," He walked back to the table, grabbed the book containing the letter from Voldemort, and walked to the door. He saw Hermione standing at the door, her eyes wide. He kept walking and she followed.

"You shouldn't have yelled at her like that," She said sadly from behind.

Draco scoffed. "She broke Hedwig's leg. I _should_ have broken hers." He heard her gasp and he smiled in return.

"What she did was wrong, but still, I think-"

"It doesn't matter, it's over," He interrupted. "I thought you were going to Hagrids."

"It started to rain." Hermione said sadly. Draco threw his tote over his shoulder and made to leave.

"So where is Harry, then? Why isn't he here too?"

"Well, you said you wanted to be alone. He didn't want to bother you." She looked away and rubbed her shoulder. "I think he and Ron are in the courtyard." Draco nodded and started his trip to the courtyard. He noticed it was getting warmer and he panicked. If it was getting warm, that meant summer was coming. If summer was coming, that meant he was closer to his disappearance. He sighed and walked faster.

"Harry!" He called when he saw Harry sitting on a bench. He looked thoroughly annoyed, and Ron was pacing in front of him, ranting about something. They both looked up when Draco's voice reached their ears. Ron sighed and sat next to Harry, who stood up with a smile and waved.

"Hey," He said when Draco stopped in front of him. "How was the library."

Draco answered a question with a glare that said 'Later'. "Was I interrupting something?" He asked instead, motioning towards Ron's deflated posture.

"Nah, we were just about to go get you, actually." He looked over his shoulder at Ron, then shook his head. "Do you want to go somewhere?" Draco nodded and they said good bye to Ron. The portraits on the walls of Hogwarts waved to them with smiles on their faces. Harry didn't notice, though. He was too busy telling Draco about how Ron was obviously in love with Hermione, he was just too afraid to admit it. Draco wasn't listening as much as he was watching the way Harrys lips moved to form words.

They finally reached the astronomy tower and were looking through the telescope. Harry pointed out several of his favorite stars while Draco tried to understand how he memorized which star was which. They all looked the same to him, but he smiled and nodded any way.

Now they were sitting on the floor. Harry had his eyes closed and was resting his head on the wall. "So what happened in the library?" He asked.

Draco sighed, he didn't want to talk about this, but he knew he had to. "You know how I was dating Pansy earlier this year?" At Harry's nod, he continued. "Well…I guess she got jealous of my talking to you…any way, she wrote the letter…and broke Hedwig's leg…" He could see Harry grew tense as he talked, but he took Dracos hand in his and said,

"It's okay. It's not your fault." Draco wanted to hug the green eyed boy right then, but decided against it. He couldn't let him know he'd gone soft.

"It kind of is. I'm really sorry." He whispered almost silently.

Harry opened his eyes and gave Draco a deathly stare. "You're sorry?" Draco nodded "You're sorry you started talking to me?"

"…Wait, what?" Draco asked, confused and unsure of how Harry had gotten that out of his apology.

"The only thing you did was talk to me. You didn't write the letter or…break Hedwig's leg. The only thing you had control over was talking to me. And you're sorry about it?"

"No. No, that's the one thing I'm not sorry about." Draco said honestly. Harry's gaze softened as a smile crept up on his face. Then he sighed and closed his eyes again, still holding Dracos hand.

"Does Blaise still bother you?" He asked suddenly.

Draco shook his head, but realized Harry couldn't see, so he said, "No," More silence passed before he spoke again. "Does anyone bother you for talking to me?"

Harry laughed. "Nope. No one dares to."

"Tough guy, huh?" Draco asked with a smile. Harry smiled back and they sat for a while before Ron came in. Draco quickly let go of Harrys hand and scooted a little bit away. He didn't know why he did it. It made him feel like liking Harry was something that needed to be hidden. He shook the thought off and listened to what Ron was saying.

"So, apparently Crabbe went to look for you," He looked at Draco, "Before Blaise finds you first."

Harry stood up with a scowl. "Really?" He scoffed and mumbled something under his breath. Then he turned to Draco, "You can't stay in your dorm anymore."

"Then where the bloody Hell am I supposed to sleep? I'll be fine Harry; I can take care of myself."

"No, I know you can. But last time you _let_ him hurt you." Harry said as he rubbed his chin, deep in thought.

"Where else is he supposed to go?" Ron piped in, "He can only be in the Slytherin dorm. Plus, his roommates will start to talk when he shows up for class, but not the dorm." Draco nodded in agreement.

"Well. I'll just have to talk to Dumbledore then. Ron, keep him company until I get back…actually…why don't you take him to the common room?"

"What? No, I can't take a Slytherin to the common room!" Ron loudly protested.

"Yeah," Draco agreed, "That won't end up well," Harry shot each of them a look.

"Fine, then stay here. Just…don't make any noise. And if someone comes," He fished in his tote and pulled out a cloak. "Use this." He threw it to Draco and ran down the stairs, leaving Draco and Ron in a very awkward silence. They didn't talk at all. They simply avoided eye contact and awkwardly cleared their throats every now and then.

"So, um. You and Harry seem pretty close." Ron said after a while, Draco simply raised his eyebrows and nodded. "When did that happen?"

"Um, I don't know. It's been happening over time." This time Ron nodded. More awkward silence.

The astronomy tower was poorly sheltered and offered no protection from the night winds. Draco looked out at the sky, it was cloudy and he couldn't see a single star. So he sighed, and looked at Ron who was leaning on a post with his eyes shut. His red hair was unruly, and he obviously needed a haircut. He wasn't unattractive by any means, but he was nothing compared to Harry. He smiled and closed his own eyes, picturing the green eyed teen sleeping in the snow, that brilliant smile he flashes. He was even beautiful when he frowned, though Draco preferred the smile.

Finally, he came back and hugged Draco. "You can use the room of requirement." He said to Draco. Draco smiled into Harrys shoulder. He most likely did a lot of debating with Dumbledore for that. And he did it just for him.

"Thank you," He whispered. He knew Harry would protect him. Not that he needed it, he hastily thought. He could take care of himself. But it didn't feel bad to have someone who was unconditionally on his side. He could only hope he could provide Harry with the same sense of safety someday.

"So," Ron interjected loudly," Guess we should get moving; I'm exhausted."

"Oh?" Harry asked as he slightly released Draco to turn his head in Ron's direction, but didn't remove his arms. "Why don't you go on to bed then?" Draco suddenly felt very awkward. They weren't hugging but their arms were around each other. Draco tried to back out of it, but Harry gently pulled him closer.

"You don't need me to help with anything?" Ron asked, obviously reluctant to go. Harry shook his head with a look that could be described as contemplation.

"Nah, I can't think of anything. But if you are going, could you do me a favor and carry my tote with you?" Ron bit his lip as he nodded. He walked over, picked up the tote and nodded 'goodnight'.

Once he left, Harry pulled Draco back into their hug. "You don't mind, do you?" Draco immediately shook his head and Harry let out a small chuckle. How could he hate it? How could he hate feeling Harrys chuckle immerse throughout both of their bodies? He smiled once again into Harry's shoulder.

As much as he wanted the moment to go on forever, he had to pull away. "I think I should get…moved in." He said as he rubbed the back of his neck. Harry sighed and agreed. They started their walk to the Slytherin common room. Harry stopped him just outside of it with a concerned expression.

"I think you should wear the cloak when you go in. So no one will try anything."

"No one's going to try anything. I'm not hiding, Potter." Draco said with a scowl. Harry smiled

"Sorry, I know I worry too much…"

Draco smiled back, whispered the password and walked in. The room grew quiet as he was noticed. Crabbe immediately jumped up and ran to his side.

"Malfoy! Blaise is lookin' for you," He warned quietly. Draco shrugged him off and walked down the stairs into their dormitories. He took a long look at the room laced in green silk. The curtains were silk, the bed sheets were silk, the carpets…weren't silk, but they felt nice. He smiled as he went to his nightstand and started packing everything into a 'Never-Ending Bag'. Then he made his way to his personal belongs. He left the picture of himself, Crabbe, Goyle, Blaise, and Pansy behind. He was symbolically leaving the 'Old Draco' behind as well. He walked out of the common room and noticed immediately, Blaise and Harry having a conversation, that that was obviously halted as soon as he appeared. Blaise, his face red, was eyeing Harry up, while Harry was doing the exact same minus the red face. Draco saw blaise's fists clench, and knew what that meant. He ran over and placed himself between the two.

Blaise scoffed. "The day a Slytherin tries to protect a Gryffindor is the day all the world is damned."

"Damn the world, then." Draco said evilly. Blaise scoffed once more, turned on his heels and walked through the portal into the common room.

As soon as he was gone, Harry turned Draco around and hugged him again. "Don't try to protect me. That's my job." He whispered. Draco scoffed and pushed him away.

"Don't tell me what to do," He mumbled. "Let's go." Harry's laugh echoed throughout the dungeons.

They stood outside of the wall that hid the room of requirement. Harry grabbed Dracos hand as they both silently wished for a room Draco could sleep in. The room obeyed; a door slowly appeared. Harry shot Draco a smile.

"Shall we?" He asked happily. Draco nodded and reached out to open the door.

But someone was already inside.

* * *

><p>I didn't proof read this. My brother gave me A LOT of ideas for this chapter, thanks to writers block. Anyway, I apologize for any misakes and what not.<p>

I made Harry taller for this story. Hope thats okay.

Devil Subaru Chan, yeah, I got tired of him being so...annoying. So I changed it and now he's super out of character. Oh well. :)

fiona, thanks for the review!

freshly caught Cornish pixies, I updated. :)

Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

SummerAgain  
>Chapter 7<p>

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked politely. Dumbledore spun around, a bag of lemon drops in his hands.

"Ah, good, Harry you're here. I was hoping I'd get to talk to you both," He fished in his bag and pulled out two yellow candies. "Lemon drop?"

Both boys ran their eyebrows together as they shook their heads in unison.

"More for me then," He said happily as he put the candies back in his bag. "Now, this is very important. What are you doing?" He asked, looking between both of them, waiting for an answer.

"Well…I was just walking Draco here…" Harry said awkwardly. Dumbledore shook his head.

"No, no. Not about that. About Voldemort. And your mark," He added with a directed glance at Draco. "You need to have some kind of plan if you have any hopes of getting out of here alive."

Harry looked at Draco, who only stared ahead blankly. _This man is a nutter…_

"Come on! Plans, I need to hear some plans." He demanded, more urgently.

"I-uh, well I was planning on disappearing. From the area, I mean."

"No," Harry interjected, "Our plan is for me to kill Voldemort and for Draco to stay here."

Dumbledore shook his head. "Now Harry, we must be realistic. Draco refuses to take the mark. That will warrant his death. He needs to get out of here immediately." He looked at the shocked expression on Harrys face, "After school, of course," He added with a smile. "No, he will most certainly need to disappear. Then, once he knows Voldemort is defeated he can come back. Good, that's settled. Now, Harry, tell me your plan."

"I don't think I should be here for this," Draco interrupted loudly. "What if I do get captured by Voldemort? He'd invade my mind and know all of your plans."

Dumbledore nodded as he popped another lemon drop in his mouth. "You're right. Absolutely right. Good thinking. Harry, come with me then."

"What? No. Draco can hear it. He won't be captured." Harry said defiantly.

"Right, you two settle this." He gave Draco a pointed look, "I'll be waiting for you in my office, Harry." He slipped out of the room and it fell silent.

Harry was staring at Draco with hard eyes. "If you have that kind of attitude, everything will be ruined." Draco said sternly. "I can't know anything about your plan to kill Voldemort. I can't know _anything_. It's the safest thing to do."

Harry shook his head, but was unable to come up with an argument.

"And," Draco continued, "You can't know anything more about my disappearance. Given the fact he can invade your mind and everything…"

"No, I've been taking lessons with Snape; I know how to control it. I need to know where you are. I need to know you'll be okay,"

"Harry, dammit!" Draco yelled. He was getting frustrated quickly. It was as if he were talking to a stubborn child. "You underestimate him! You need to realize this is the only way."

Suddenly, Harry closed the distance between them. He pressed his lips firmly on Dracos, finally revealing their emotions. Draco felt week-kneed, but responded to the kiss almost immediately. It was warm and passionate, something Draco had never experienced in a kiss before. He wrapped his hands up around Harry's neck and pulled him closer. Their bodies were pressed up against each other as if they couldn't get close enough. Harry's lips started to move and Draco followed them in a perfect rhythm.

Finally, Harry broke away. He frowned as he stared at Draco. "I need to know where you are," He repeated. Draco was out of breath and he felt light headed. So he simply nodded, even though he knew that was impossible. "I've wanted to do that for a really long time," He said as his smile returned. Draco scowled at him as he went to sit on his bed, for fear of falling over any second.

"Dumbledore is waiting for you," He said quietly. Harry seemed to notice Draco's strange behavior and sat next to him.

"Was that okay? Are you mad I did it?" He asked, not bothering to hide how scared he was. Draco shook his head.

"It's fine. I'm just tired. Go talk to Dumbledore and I'll see you in the morning." Harry frowned deeply, but nodded his head any way. Then he left and Draco fell back on his bed. He started crying and didn't stop until he fell asleep.

He cried for many reasons; the main one was probably because he thought he couldn't like Harry any more than he already had. Within a matter of seconds, he was proven wrong. And there was nothing to be done about it.

He also cried because he knew he had to leave Harry. It was his only option, but it hurt worse than anything he had ever experienced. He wasn't even gone yet, but he could feel the pain already bubbling up in the pit of his stomach. How was he going to survive without having Harry there by his side?

He wanted to stay. Oh, how he wanted to stay. But if he did, he would only cause Harrys plan trouble. He couldn't be here to get in the way of his prophecy. He had to save every one. He was a hero, and he couldn't be distracted. No, he had to leave. Even if it broke his heart.

He counted 46 hours. There were 46 more hours until he was off to some random part of the globe, away from Harry and away from everything he ever knew. He was scared and he was sad. But he covered up those emotions very well. Better than he had Harry had, anyway. Harry was currently pouting at the Gryffindor table. His plate was untouched and he was determined to keep it that way until Draco agreed to stay.

"Harry, I can't stay. I don't have a choice. Please eat your food." Draco said for the thirteenth time that hour. Harry shook his head and avoided eye contact. "Harry," Draco grabbed Harrys hand, hidden under the table, and squeezed. "Please eat." He asked again. This time, Harry sighed and picked up his fork.

"You'll see him again," Hermione said cheerfully from across the table. "You'll work really hard to find him, won't you?"

Harry smiled up at her and stuffed some peas into his mouth. She giggled and turned her gaze onto Draco.

"And you'll make it easy for him, right? You'll come out of hiding the moment you hear…You-know-who is gone?"

"Of course I will. I'll be back the very same day." Draco said, looking at Harry who still refused to speak.

"Bloody Hell, Harry. Even you're not_ this_ thick." Ron stated from next to Hermione. "He needs to go! It'll be easier for you to work on finding…" He trailed off; remembering that Draco was here and he couldn't speak about their plan. Harry violently rose from his chair and sulked out of the Great Hall. Draco looked up at Hermione, who ushered him to go after him.

"Harry," Draco called from the bottom of the stairs. "Are you up there?" He heard a grunt come from the astronomy tower, so he started to climb the seemingly never ending stairs. When he reached the top, he saw Harry sitting on the ledge of the window. "Come down from there,"

Harry shook his head. "No, I want to stay right here."

"You can really be a stubborn ass, you know that?" Draco asked as he climbed up on the window sill as well. "Please talk to me,"

"I don't know why you're leaving." Harry said angrily. "You can come with us. If Ron and Hermione are going you can too. We could use all the help we can get."

Draco shook his head. "I wouldn't be any help. I'd get in the way. Plus, I don't do well under stressful situations. I might snap your neck," He added with a smile. When Harry shot him a scowl he said, "I don't want to go. I want to help you. But, I have a dark trace on me. If we ever get close to Voldemort, he'll feel that trace and know exactly where I am, which is why I need to be far away. The further I am, the easier the task."

"That's not true. I'd be more on track if I knew you were there with me. I'd work harder knowing I have something to fight for."

"That's not true. You'd be distracted." He then leaned in closer to Harry, "Because I wouldn't be able to stop myself from doing this," He leaned in and kissed Harry on the cheek. Harry smiled and tried to kiss Draco on the lips, but Draco didn't notice this, and he went back to his original position, leaving Harry unbalanced. He slipped, and fell out of the astronomy tower window, plummeting to his death.

That's probably what Harry _thought_ would happen. What _really _happened was this;

"Because I wouldn't be able to stop myself from doing this," He leaned in and kissed Harry on the cheek.

"Since when have you become so affectionate?" Harry grumbled, blushing slightly from the kiss.

"Since I realized we only have 45more hours together."

Harry shot Draco a deadly look as he pointed up to a star to the left of the moon. "See that star?" At Dracos nod, he continued. "That's the star I was staring at when I realized how I felt about you."

Draco blushed and looked back at Harry, who was smiling fondly at that star.

"And since you're…going…no matter what I say, I want you to memorize that star. Because every night I want you to look at that star and think of me. So I can know you're alive."

"How will you know I'm alive?" Draco asked, disbelievingly.

Harry shot him a look. "Because that's our star!" He said passionately. "We'll share a special bond through it,"

Draco smirked. "That's awfully cliché."

Harry sighed. "You're not much of a romantic, are you?"

Draco smiled and shook his head.

"No?" Harry stood and looked down the tower. "That's a long way down…I wonder if it would hurt to fall. It can't possibly hurt worse than how I feel right now…" And with that, he stepped off the window sill and leaped to his death.

That's probably what Draco_ thought_ would happen. What _really_ happened was this;

"No?" Harry stood and looked down the tower. "That's a long way down…I wonder if it would hurt to fall." He then climbed back in the room and held a hand out for Draco. "I'd rather not find out though."

Draco took Harrys hand and climbed down as well. Harry pulled Draco into his arms and squeezed. He ran his hands down Dracos back, causing the blond boy to blush uncontrollably.

"What are you doing?" He asked quietly as Harry moved his hands to Draco's backside.

"Just…memorizing," Harry replied with a smirk. Draco pushed him away and turned around.

"You're gross."

"Hey." Draco heard Ron say from somewhere behind him. He turned around to look at him.

"Yeah?"

"Um, I just wanted to say thanks." Ron said with a blush as he shuffled his feet around on the floor.

"For what?" Draco asked, utterly confused.

"For…Harry. I mean, he was always really upset about what he was chosen to do. He never wanted to do it, he always complained. But since he's met you, he became really determined, and I know he'll pull through. So…thanks,"

Draco frowned, "You think he'll win?"

Ron laughed and sat down next to him. "I know he'll win. I've never seen him more determined. He wants to make Voldemort suffer…for you."

Draco couldn't help but smile at that. He liked Ron, he decided. They left the library and started their walk to the Great Hall.

Today was the day he was leaving. Technically, everyone was leaving, but he was leaving for good. It was a very depressing sight; seeing Harry with his scowl on. When he noticed Draco, the scowl turned into a painful expression. Draco walked up to him, unable to control himself, and threw his arms around the green eyed boy.

"I'll miss you," Harry said into Dracos head. Draco nodded in return and squeezed harder. Then he let go and they sat down, ready to eat their last dinner together.

He and Harry ate pretty much in silence. They held each other's hand under the table, squeezing every now and then. Draco didn't want to eat; with every bite he felt like he was going to vomit. But he knew he should eat. He didn't know how long his journey would be or when he'd be able to eat next. So, he piled his food in. Harry, Ron, and Hermione seemed to do the exact same. Draco couldn't help but wonder where they were going.

Near the end of dinner, Dumbledore stood up at his podium and gave a speech. Draco never really listened to his speeches before, but they were very warming. He was certainly going to miss this school. He thought of his mother, worrying when he didn't appear on the train. What would she do? Would she tell father to round up the Death Eaters and look for him? He shook his head. That would be the worst case scenario.

He looked over at Harry who was extremely pale. How long until he saw him again? Would Harry still like him when he returned? How long would it take them to do whatever they were doing? He looked over at Ron and Hermione and hoped to everything he believed in, that they would be helpful and help Harry end his task quickly.

He felt Harry squeeze his hand and he felt like bursting to tears. Everything was so uncertain, just how Draco hated it. He needed answers. He needed to know things, but he couldn't. He felt so helpless, sitting there at the Gryffindor table in his Slytherin robes.

This was it. This was their departure. Harry's arms enveloped Draco where they stood. Draco thought for a moment their bodies would morph together. Like when you don't open your eyes and the eyelids grow together. He tried to pull away, but Harry pulled him closer.

"I can't let go," He whispered. His voice was strained and it cracked at the end of his sentence. This caused a tear to escape from Dracos eyes also. They stood there until the train horn bellowed. Ron placed a hand on Harrys shoulder.

"C'mon mate, we're going to miss our train." He said softly, but loud enough to be heard over the roar of the engines all around them.

"Then I'll miss it," He said as he kissed the top of Dracos head. "I can't go."

This time, Draco pushed Harry away, hard. "You have to," He said sternly. This was not a time for weakness. They had to be strong. They had to go. They didn't have a choice. Draco nodded to Hermione and Ron, before looking back at Harry. "I'll miss you too." He said before he turned on his heels and headed in the direction of his own train. He heard Harry cry his name, but he told himself it was just his imagination. Along with the vomit trying to rise in his throat, and the pain in his chest.

He felt like he was going to collapse, but he kept walking. If he stopped now, he wouldn't be able to ever continue. He boarded his own train and picked an empty compartment where he cried uncontrollably.

"Good bye, Harry Potter." He said to the window, trying desperately to remember those brilliant green eyes that were already starting to fade from his memory.

* * *

><p>Be honest, who did I get with Harrys death?<p>

So. I've been told by my brother that I should just stop here. (He doesn't believe in happy endings, by the way) But I've had these ideas growing…no, PULSATING in my head since I started this chapter and I'd really like to do them. But I don't want to ruin it by blabbing too much. What to do, what to do…  
><strong>If only you nice people would tell me what you think…?<strong>

Devil Subaru Chan, Your review actually gave me a lot of ideas if I continue the story, haha. But I'm glad you felt bad for Pansy. I didn't want _every_ Slytherin to be a jerk. Anyway, thanks so much for all of your reviews. I really appreciate it.

Bubbie, I was wondering where you were last time. I'm glad you just forgot and didn't lose interest in my story…ha. Thanks for reviewing.

freshly caught Cornish pixies, ….I was actually going to say it was Voldemort, but your review scared me, so I took the easy way out and made it silly ole Dumbledore. Haha, thanks for the review, though!

, Thanks for the review! I'm glad you like the story.

Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

Summer Again  
>Chapter 8<p>

He didn't know how long he had been sitting in the train. He didn't know what time it was. He didn't know where he was. All he knew was that his insides were on fire. And he felt like he had to vomit again. He sat up when saliva filled his mouth. He fought down the urge to vomit.

"Are you alright?" A Ravenclaw girl asked from the other side of the compartment. He scowled at her and looked out the window. He could feel himself going back to his old ways. He was getting angry at the slightest things. The color of the bench he sat on pissed him off beyond belief. The smell of the compartment smelled of ink, which also made him mad.

He thought of Harry, where was he? Was he thinking about him? Or was he too busy? He shook his head and decided he would get off at the next stop, and hop onto a different train. He humored himself in thinking he would hop trains around so much he could run into Harry again…just to hug him one more time.

When the train stopped, he hopped onto a muggle train. He easily forged a ticket with his wand and this time sat in a normal row of seats, closer to the toilet, because he was certain he was getting ready to vomit again.

It was late now, and the trains have stopped running. He decided to spend the night in a town called Elgin. It was small, so he was happily surprised to find a wizard hotel just outside of town. He stopped into a market, before he checked in though. He bought some necessary things like tooth paste, deodorant, and a couple of snacks. Once he checked in, he fell right on the bed. He pulled out the Daily Prophet he found in the lobby and looked through it.

His heart stopped when he roamed over a picture of Harry. Without thinking, he grabbed a pair of scissors and cut it out. Then he stuck it into a book which he shoved under his pillow.

"I'll come back to you," He whispered before falling asleep.

He forged another ticket, and hopped aboard another train. He relocated the picture of Harry from the book and it was now resting in his back pocket. This train was a lot worse than the last one. It had puke-green cushions and it smelled of asparagus.

He vomited four times on this train. He couldn't take it anymore and hopped off at the nearest station. Then he found a rather decent one and went on there instead. He passed a compartment and froze.

Were they…Gryffindor robes? He asked himself. He backed up and peeked back into the compartment. Sure enough, there were two Gryffindors, chatting adamantly about something. He felt an urge to go in and speak to them. He knocked on the door and they waved him in.

"You're from Hogwarts?" He asked as he sat next to a boy with dirty blonde hair. He looked up excitedly at Draco.

"Yeah! How did you know?" He practically jumped in his seat.

Draco looked pointedly at the boys robes. He giggled. "Oh, right." He said with a slap to his own forehead. "I'm Gale, by the way." He had a very nice smile. He pointed across the table to the other Gryffindor. "And that's my friend, Odan."

Draco looked from one boy to the other. They looked very similar and Draco found it hard to believe they were not related. They both shared the same dirty blonde hair, though Gales was slightly longer than the others. Really the only difference was their mouths, but that wasn't very noticeable. Draco nodded to Odan, who nodded back but said nothing.

"So do you go to Hogwarts, too?" Gale asked excitedly. "What house are you in?"

Draco bit his tongue. He had walked right into a mess. "Ravenclaw," He said with a smile; he had to pull off the Ravenclaw personality. Luckily, he was carrying a book. That had to help with his image, right?

"Oh cool! Ravenclaw's are so smart! Are you smart too? You must be, that's why you're in Ravenclaw." He laughed and Odan rolled his eyes.

"You haven't told us your name," Odan said, finally deciding to speak.

"Oh I don't think that's important." Draco said with a smile.

"Of course it's important!" Gale said from next to him. "How can we be friends if we don't know your name?"

He discreetly bit the inside of his lip. "Okay, my name's Bryan." It was the first name he thought of, so he went with it. He also believed there was a Bryan in Ravenclaw so that was good.

"Okay, Bryan! Where are you getting off?"

"Next stop," Draco replied.

"Oh! That's our stop, also!" Gale exclaimed, practically gleaming with joy. "Why don't you come to Odan's house with us?"

Draco didn't miss the look Odan shot at Gale. He wasn't offended, either. Gale had just invited someone to his house without his permission.

"I don't think that's necessary," Draco said with another fake smile.

"Do you live around here? The trains will stop running, soon. Where will you stay?"

"I'm planning on staying at a hotel." Draco replied, flatly. This guy was someone he didn't enjoy talking to. He was too friendly and he smiled too much. He asked too many questions and he didn't know when to mind his own business. Draco continually denied Gales invitations which seemed to rise up every two minutes or so. Eventually, Odan chimed in and said it would make the most sense if he were to stay at his house, much to Gales delight. Draco couldn't refuse both of them, so he said he would stay. After all, one night wouldn't hurt, right?

Once the stop came, they hopped off and started their walk. Gale did all of the talking, explaining to Draco that Odan's parents died recently and he was living alone. Draco wondered how he could maintain a house when he was at Hogwarts every year for months at a time. But Gale explained the unasked question, by telling him that Odan had two cousins who lived there too. They weren't wizards, apparently, and were extremely jealous of Odan and Gale.

After a very long walk, they finally arrived at a small house that held an almost-dilapidated appearance. Once inside, though, it was very cozy. It was surprisingly well kept, actually, compared to the outside. It must have been done with magic, Draco decided.

"So this is it!" Gale announced with his arms outstretched, "Pretty nice, huh?" Draco nodded and proceeded to receive a tour from Gale, while Odan made dinner. Draco felt very relaxed here. Odan was probably his favorite of the two, though.

"Gale! Bryan! Dinner!" They walked out to the living room to find a bowl of Spaghetti waiting for each of them. It smelled delicious and Draco became aware of how hungry he actually was. He scoffed down his bowl and was offered seconds, which he gratefully took.

"So who gets the bed with me tonight!" Gale asked, clapping his hands together in order to get attention. Odan groaned and fell back in his seat. "Alright, alright. Bryan, since it's your first night here you can get the bed first. And Odan, since it's your house…you can stay there too. I'll chill on the sofa." He smiled as he threw his hands behind his head.

"Wait, two to a bed?" Draco asked, suddenly nervous.

"It's the best solution we have. Since the bed is a queen, we don't like to waste the space…" Odan trailed off, assuming Draco got the picture. He did.

"Well, then I'll sleep on the sofa." He offered.

"Nonsense. You're our guest; you should get the best treatment." Gale chided. Despite all his arguing, Gale wouldn't have it, thus making Draco dislike him even more. Time rolled by and finally it fell to night.

He realized, as he brushed his teeth far longer than usual, that he was very nervous. He had never shared a bed with anyone else before, and on top of it all, he barely knew him. Odan was already in bed, tucked under the covers, so Draco tried to delay as long as possible in the bathroom.

"Bryan? Are you okay?" He heard Odan call. This isn't going to be a good night… he thought as he opened the door and smiled. "You brushed for a while."

"Yeah," Draco nodded as he hopped into bed, clinging onto the edge for dear life.

"You don't have to do that. I won't bite," Odan said flatly as he flicked the light off as turned on his side, his back facing Draco. About two hours passed and he had yet to fall asleep. Odan was long gone, judging by his snoring. He slowly climbed out of bed and walked outside. It was warm out, so Draco decided he'd be here for a while.

He lay down on the grass and looked up at the sky. His eyes immediately went for the star Harry told him about. He felt a tear fall down his face and he quickly wiped it away. No more crying, he told himself angrily. Man up.

He was there for a while. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't leave that star. He heard a door close behind him and he looked up to see Odan, hair disheveled, striding towards him.

"What are you doing out here?" He asked as he took a seat next to Draco. Draco could tell the question wasn't meant as in 'What are you doing outside when you're supposed to be sleeping' rather more like 'What are you doing so far away from Hogwarts' But he asked anyway, just to be sure.

"What do you mean?"

"I've never met another Hogwarts student who lives this far off. What are you doing here?" Draco nodded to himself.

"I'm just traveling around alone." Draco replied, hoping that would suffice.

"Are you that Slytherin ever body has been talking about?" The question caught him completely off guard. First of all, how did he know he was a Slytherin? And secondly, news had already spread about his disappearance?

"I don't know what you're talking about." He replied rudely.

"What was your name again?"

It took Draco longer than it should have to reply and he mentally cursed himself as he said "Bryan" a bit too quickly.

Odan nodded. "Why were you staring at that star?"

"…it's personal."

Odan nodded again and stood up. "Right, well you should come in soon, Draco. Wouldn't want to catch a cold."

Draco nodded. Then let out a belated gasp when he realized Odan had used his name.

Draco nodded absent mindedly as Odan explained his understanding of the situation. He woke up smelling bacon on the stove, and was currently sitting at the table while Gale stared at his, his mouth agape. When Odan had finished talking, Gale closed his mouth.

"So you lied to us?" He sounded very hurt, completely unlike his naturally happy voice. Draco nodded. "You're a Slytherin?" Another nod. "But you're mates with Harry Potter?" More nodding. "And you're currently trying to escape an army of Death Eaters?"

"Yes, Gale." Odan said, turning from the stove and placing the plates in front of both boys before making his own. "That's exactly what I just explained."

"I didn't know you would invite me to stay here. If I did, I never would have lied." Draco said honestly. Gale still looked hurt but nodded anyway.

"It's okay. Not exactly the best way to start a relationship…but hey, you're a Slytherin." The comment made Draco smile; at least Gale wasn't completely mad at him. "So what are we going to do today?"

Odan shrugged. "I don't know. Draco, is there anything you need?"

Draco looked up at the boys with raised eyebrows. "No, I'm all set." He said, gesturing toward his never-ending bag.

"Why are you all packed up, anyway?" Gale asked before helping himself to more bacon.

"I'm…leaving." Draco thought the boys had just demonstrated their understanding of the situation, so why were they acting like this?

"Why would you leave?"

"I just told you. I'm being hunted by Death Eaters. I can't stay in one place for too long."

Odan nodded. "But at least stay one more night. We spent last night with Bryan. Now I'm curious to meet Draco."

Draco was very hesitant to accept their offer but did so anyway. Odan's cousins came home later that day, and Draco disliked them worst of all. They were very perverted. The first thing out of the tallest one's mouth was; "What's this? A new bed toy?" Then he squeezed Draco's rump. He was very uncomfortable, but he sucked it up for Odan, who kept apologizing and blushing every time the older two boys opened their mouths.

He missed Harry terribly. He missed the smell the green eyed boy had, and the way his laugh sent chills throughout his body. He was getting into the habit of reading the daily prophet every day, hoping he would get some kind of news. He never did, just lists of wanted wizards who threatened the ministry. Harry was always top of list, which Draco took some comfort in. At least he was still okay.

That night, Draco had his things packed and went to bed. He woke up about three hours after every one had fallen asleep. He had this nagging urge to leave. He didn't know if it was paranoia or something serious, but he left a note for Gale and Odan, stating that he had to leave that night and thanked them for keeping him. Then he set off in the direction he thought the train station was. He felt guilty for leaving without saying good bye. With a sigh, he turned to look back in the direction of their house and froze.

All he saw was smoke.

* * *

><p>It's being continued :)<p>

Okay, I know this was really boring but trust me, it is leading up to something. And if some of the sentences don't make sence, I apologize. I'm getting sick so I'm not thinking clearly...

Devil Subaru Chan, Either my writing is very obvious, or you read my mind! Either way, that's what I was planning on doing, haha. Your review was really nice, by the way. It even made my brother question his beliefs. :)  
>And don't apologize for a long review! It's the best!<p>

Bubbie, I don't want to break your heart, so here's another chapter! :)

freshly caught Cornish pixies, Though it's not going to happen this chaper, it'll happen soon I promise!

, Sorry! It's not over quite yet.

Thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

Summer Again  
>Chapter 9<p>

He ran as fast as he could back to Odan's house. More smoke filled his lungs the closer he got. The aroma was strong, but he tried to focus on getting to his friends before distinguishing smells.

He stopped dead in his tracks as he noticed two people outside, dressed in long black cloaks and tall point hats. One of them turned in the fire light and was illuminated. They were wearing masks that covered the upper portion of their face. The one on the left was yelling something to the other who strode about igniting more and more of Odan's house.

At that moment he had two options. He could try to sneak inside, risk being caught, and find a way to sneak four other people away. Or, he could kill one off now and fight the other, while hoping the four were still alive.

He quickly decided the second option was easiest; there was no he could sneak out that many people, if he even got in himself. He determined the one on the left was the one with better dueling experience, given his stance and the way he held his wand. He waited until the one on the right was turned around, then he whispered 'Petrificus Totalis," Thus causing the man to be unable to control his body. He was, for lack of a better word, frozen. The one on the right had missed this display and was still setting fire to the house. He whispered his spell again, and then he ran inside the burning building to find his friends.

He ripped off a piece of his shirt and held it over his mouth. He found the two cousins, Tommy and Michael. He used a spell to make them float, and he directed them outside. Once they were down, he ran further back into Odan's bedroom.

"DRACO!" He heard someone yell from behind him, he spun around to see Odan. His face was covered with ash, but tears were streaming down his face. "Get out of here! They're after you!"

Draco grabbed Odan's shoulder and drug him out of the house. He took this opportunity to dose Tommy and Michael in water and made sure they were breathing before he asked, "Where's Gale?"

He saw the shudder go through Odan as he said Gale's name. "Th-they got him. A w-woman she took him!" He was crying hysterically now, and Draco gave him a sympathetic look before bowing his head in shame.

"I'm so sorry."

Odan slowly walked back to where Draco crouched, hovering over one of the Death Eaters.

"I know this one," He said, his voice filled with disgust. "_Crabbe_." He spat.

"Tommy and Michael are on the train. Heading for Ireland to live with their parents."

"I'm sorry, Odan. I ruined everything." Draco whispered as he looked back at the ashes which used to be his home.

"No, you don't have to apologize. Wake these bastards up, I want to hear it from them,"

Draco nodded but put took some precautions as well. He broke both of the Death Eaters wands, and used a spell to make their legs weigh over 500 pounds. He couldn't risk losing these two, not yet.

He uttered another spell and suddenly both men were taking in the breaths they were deprived of.

"When the Dark Lord hears of this, you'll both be screwed!" Crabbe shouted. "Dammit! Why can't I move my legs!"

"Shut up, Crabbe," The leader of the two commanded. Crabbe immediately did so. Draco noted the obedience in Crabbe and planned to use that later.

"Why have you come here?" Draco asked, deciding to take things slow. Get all the information he could.

"The Dark Lord sent us, obviously." The leader said with a sigh. This angered Odan, and he slapped the man across his face.

"We don't want any lip. And give us an actual answer. You know what he meant." Odan commanded with his wand to the man's throat. Draco shuddered at the tone of voice Odan used, it was scarier than Snapes.

"We came because the Dark Lord has heard of your whereabouts, Draco." Crabbe said with a smile creeping up on his face.

"How do you know his name?" Odan asked, thrusting his wand further into the leader's throat.

"You don't know?" The leader asked, obviously enjoying this. "Draco is one of us."

Odan's head shot up at that. His eyes flashed hatred at Draco for a moment before returning his gaze upon the leader. "He doesn't even have the mark."

"No…but he has the trace."

"What trace?" Odan asked Draco, finally looking back up at him.

"If I'm in a certain radius, Voldemort can sense my exact location."

"It's the step that comes right before becoming a Death Eater itself." Crabbe added with a grin.

"Quiet, you," Odan said as he kicked Crabbe over. "Why didn't you tell me about that?"

"I didn't think I was staying long enough for it to become important."

"Well…obviously there's a lot we need to talk about." Odan said as he refocused his attention on the leader. "Now what do we do with these two? We can't very well let them go."

Draco shuddered again as he heard the amount of evil in the other boys voice. "We leave them."

"Leave us? But we can't walk. We'll starve!" Crabbe exclaimed passionately. Odan only laughed as he dropped his wand from the leader's neck and kicked him over as well. Then he leaned in close and punched the man in the face, causing blood to pour out of his nose.

"That's for Gale."

Draco started a fire as Odan attempted to set up the tent they had bought with their muggle money.

"Okay," Draco said as he stood up from the fire and walked over to help Odan with the tent. The task was unreasonably hard, but they wanted to refrain from doing magic at all costs. They learned that the ministry was keeping a close eye on all spells and the exact locations they were coming from, which sent Draco on his toes. _Would they come if they saw the spells I used? _He shook the thought from his head and smiled when the tent was finished.

Odan went out to catch fish from a nearby stream, and was now roasting them on the fire. Draco was very grateful to have Odan and his cooking skills along on the journey. But every time they made eye contact, Draco couldn't miss the sadness in his eyes. It was almost painful to witness.

"So is there anything else I should know before we continue our journey?" Odan asked. He had decided to join Draco the moment Gale was caught. He said he would get him back if it killed him.

"I can't think of anything at the moment." Draco said as he stared into the fire. "Oh, well. I guess you could say Voldemort has taken an interest in me."

"An interest?"

Draco nodded, and proceeded to explain the letters he had received and such. He didn't want to tell Odan all of this, but seeing as they were together now, there was no point in keeping secrets that would get in their way later on. Plus, he knew from the moment he met him, that Odan was trustworthy

"So, where does your friendship with Harry Potter come into play? That's still…shocking." Odan said once Draco had finished. He subconsciously stuffed his hand into his pocket to make sure his picture was still there.

"I don't know. It just sort of happened."

"Before or after you decided to give up your life as a Death Eater?"

"Both, I guess. Before Harry and I were friends, I knew I didn't want to become like my father. I made that decision long ago. But once we became close, I was a lot more assertive. Hence my running away."

Odan nodded. Silence enveloped them once again as they ate. The fish was awful. It smelled disgusting, and the taste was bland. But, at least it was bland and not as disgusting as it smelled.

"So what about you and Gale," Draco immediately regretted asking when he noticed Odan's wince.

"What about us?" He stared into the fire, completely forgetting about his fish.

"Well, I know you guys are just friends, but I can't help thinking…"

"That we're together?"

Draco nodded as he took another bite. He didn't particularly care about Odan and Gale being together, but he felt like he should know.

"We're not together but…" He trailed off.

"I understand."

They decided to take turns sleeping. They couldn't be too careful, after all. Draco took first shift for six hours, then he was up for six hours. After that, they would head to their new campsite. Draco hoped they would come across a train station soon. That situation was much more accommodating.

"Hey, you never told me how…Gale was captured." Draco said out of the blue. He was becoming more confident with speaking about Gale. He assumed it was getting easier for Odan to talk about, too. They were walking in a forest. It was dark and damp, and Draco could tell they both needed to talk about something to get their minds off of it.

"He was outside. He got your letter and woke me up…" He cleared his throat. "I just wanted to sleep and he said he was going to find you. It's my fault really. Then I heard him yelling and then…screaming. And I ran out of the house. I saw men in cloaks, so I ran into the woods to see what was happening. Then out of nowhere, a woman appeared and said 'He's locked away.'. I knew she was talking about Gale. Then she disapperated. I was about to go ape shit when I saw one guy fall. Then I saw you…"

"It wasn't your fault."

Odan gave him a weak smile and silence came once again.

"And why would two young wizards like yourselves need a hotel room?" The man at the desk asked mischievously.

"We're traveling." Draco replied flatly. "Can we have a room or not?"

"One room…?"

"Yes. We only have enough for one at this overpriced establishment." Odan chimed in, wrinkling his nose in disgust. Draco had a very hard time concealing his grin.

The man huffed loudly before taking their names on a paper and handing them a set of keys. Then he looked them dead in the eyes and said, "If I get any complaints of…noise. I'll have you both out on your arses."

"Don't worry sir. We're really very quiet." Odan said with a smile as he placed a hand on Dracos lower back and lead them down the hall. Once they were out of sight, Draco let his laughter go. He had no idea Odan could be so bold, but he really liked it. He decided he didn't mind traveling with someone.

They entered their room and pulled out a bag of crisps they obtained in the lobby/market. There was only one bed, but since they had slept together before, it was no problem. They were off the next day, same routine, same questioning concierges. Draco rolled his eyes at the amount of intolerance there was in the muggle world. Why did it concern people so much who others found love in?

They finally came across wizard bar and hopped in. Draco immediately went over to the station that held the Daily Prophet and flipped through. He found no news of Harry, but he did find that Luna was missing when he skimmed over the quibbler. He sighed sadly, and flipped through once more. It was filled with 'Support Harry Potter' Articals and things of the like.

"Find anything?" Odan asked, appearing behind Draco suddenly.

"Nothing." He replied angrily as he threw it back down. "No news, what-so-ever. I suppose that's a good thing though.."

Odan nodded and they checked into yet another hotel across the street.

"We're running out of money." Odan stated as he counted what was left in their bag. "We'll probably need to find work soon."

"Work requires a stable environment." Draco argued. "We don't have that."

"Well, how will we continue if we have no money?"

Draco shrugged. "We'll figure something out."

And indeed they did. They found a lot of quick jobs during their travels. A woman offered them to deliver a package across town, and earned a few sickles out of it. Another man requested a freshly painted fence. Sure it didn't offer the best amount of money, but with a few sacrificed nights, they were able to sleep in a hotel a good proportion of the week.

"Where are we going?" Odan asked one day.

"What do you mean?" Draco asked, looking back over his shoulder.

"I mean," He sighed as he walked next to Draco. "That every day we've been aimlessly walking around. With no direction what-so-ever. Where are we going?"

"We're waiting."

"For what?"

"For Harry to defeat Voldemort so we can return."

"So…we're not doing anything to help?"

Draco thought on that for a moment. No, they weren't contributing directly, but wasn't it better to just stay out of the way and not bother Harrys plan? He voiced this thought to Odan who shook his head.

"That's ridiculous! We need to contribute! What if they need help? We need to save Gale! Not walk around here like chickens with our heads cut off!"

Draco stopped and rounded on Odan. "You think I don't want to help? You think I'm doing this because I'm scared?"

Odan nodded. "You're just saving your arse while Harry does the dirty work."

That hurt Draco deeply. He wanted to punch Odan in the face for even suggesting such a thing. But he knew he was right. He was running away. He's supposed to be on Harrys side, not cower in the corner. "Then where do you suggest we go?"

"We send a letter to Harry. We ask if there's something we can do to help."

"I don't know where he is."

"Do your owls know each other?"

"I suppose."

"Then it's settled. Get some paper and a quill."

He must have gone over the letter 200 times in his head before he finally began writing. He just didn't know what to say. It would be different if he was in person, but considering it was over a letter that might not even reach him, he found himself at a loss of words.

"This is stupid. He won't get it. And what if it gets intercepted?" Draco asked becoming frustrated.

"It won't be intercepted. Write the bloody letter." Draco sighed and returned to his letter.

It didn't take long for him to decide he couldn't write it. It was just too weird. He tossed the parchment in the bin and hopped in bed. Odan yelled at him for not going through with it, but he ignored him. He would help Harry; he just didn't need to keep contact. After all, he told Harry they couldn't talk throughout the ordeal, so how would he look if he went back on his word?

The next day, the decided to stay in town and do some work. They managed to rack up enough money to eat at restaurant, which Draco tried to refuse repeatedly. Odan only smiled and said, "We need to treat ourselves to something nice every now and then."

So there they sat. At a table with a candle and soft music in the background. Draco never ate at a place like this before, so he felt out of place. He felt comfortable around Odan though, who seemed to know exactly how this worked.

After dinner they planned to go back to the hotel…but found their plan was foiled as soon as they left their table.

* * *

><p>Woo! I suck at ending chapters!<p>

Devil Subaru Chan, No, he's not sick. I don't know if I'm the only one who experiences it, but when I leave somone I throw up alot. Haha, so I made Draco go through that too. And when Draco first met Odan and Gale, two days passed since he left Hogwarts. Then he stayed for two days. Now a bunch of weeks are flying by. I'm thinking about adding a lemon or two somewhere. I'm not very good at writing them, but I do want to try it out.

Bubbie, I hope this chapter answered your question! And before I wrote this, I planned on having Gale accompany Draco. But your review made me reconsider. I feel theres alot more substance now. :)

freshly caught Cornish pixies, Don't be mad! It's all explained. The two boys are fine! Even though...Gale might not be... :(

ANYWAY, HAPPY HALLOWEEN! I hope you all had a fun and safe holiday. Who dressed up?

Thanks for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

Summer Again  
>Chapter 10<p>

He tried to blink it away. He was sure it was an illusion. But it wasn't leaving…why wasn't it leaving? No matter how many times he blinked the person standing in front of him remained.

"No." He said as he shook his head, "No. You can't be here." He uttered quietly to himself. He snapped his eyes shut. _Leave. You can't be here!_

"Draco…" Odan whispered somewhere to his left. His voice was calm. How could he be calm? He opened an eye to look at him. He was standing beside him with a concerned expression on his face. "Are you alright?"

_What are you talking about?_ He thought as he shook his head in disbelief. _How could I be okay? Don't_ _you see_… He stopped thinking as he looked around. Where was he? He was just here!

"D-didn't you see him?" Draco asked, taking a step forward. He looked above and searched the skies. He knew he was here. He could feel it. There was no mistaking that pale face.

"No one is there Draco." Odan said softly, almost as if he were trying to keep from scaring Draco, who scoffed at the gesture. He wasn't crazy. He was just afraid of what Voldemort was capable of.

"I saw him." Was all he said before sulking off toward the direction of their hotel. He heard Odan's footsteps behind him. Sure Odan was a fine traveling partner, but he was really annoyed with the blonde haired brown eyed teen. He climbed in bed as soon as he got in, and pretended to fall asleep. He heard Odan talking to himself, but remained in his pretend sleep. When Odan had finally fallen asleep Draco snuck into the bathroom where he took a look at himself.

He was even paler than the last time he looked in the mirror. His eyes were sunken in and he his hair was longer than he liked. He also noticed he was still extremely thin. He rolled his eyes, he almost looked like a skeleton.

"Draco," He spun as the whisper reached his ears. "Draco,"

"Who's there?" He asked the empty bathroom.

"Draco," He quickly left the bathroom and climbed back in bed.

He felt a strange breeze flow through the covers. He shivered and pulled the blankets closer. _He's near._

He had experienced these sensations before, so he knew how to ignore them. The problem was getting Odan to understand why he stressed over it so much.

"I don't understand why we have to go. We've only stayed here one night." He complained as they walked the streets.

"Obviously you don't understand the severity of this situation." Draco said dryly as he tried to locate the nearest train station. "When Voldemort starts looking for someone with the Dark Trace this is what happens." He showed Odan the rash-looking thing that was forming on his arm. It was red and blotchy and it ached like Hell.

"Does it hurt?" Odan asked, taking Dracos arm and probing it gently.

Draco sighed and reclaimed his arm, hiding it back under his shirt. "It doesn't matter. We need to go."

They picked up their pace and made it to the station. It wasn't unlike the other stations they had been to, so forging a ticket was no puzzle. Odan often complained about having to steal their way into the train, but since they had no money there was nothing they could do.

"Do you think…Gale is with Voldemort?" Odan asked suddenly. Draco eyed him for a moment. There was fear in his eyes and his slouched posture suggested he was depressed. He shook his head.

"No, I think Gale is at my house, actually."

"You're house?" Odan repeated, sitting up a little straighter. "Why would he be there?"

"My father usually harbors the ones Voldemort brings in. He was even residing at my house for a while, but since I could feel him in the last town, I think he's moved on."

"Is your father a torturous bastard?"

He couldn't really answer that question. He remembered his younger days before Hogwarts when he could hear the screams that rose from the dungeons. They were filled with pain and it chilled Draco to the bone. He knew those people were being tortured, but he never actually knew who did it. "If he's not torturing Gale," He began. He knew if he finished Odan would probably go on a rampage, terrorizing all the village folk. But he didn't have to finish.

"Someone else is."

He looked up at Odan, who was too busy getting lost in his thoughts to notice.

Ron had been gone for five days now. Harry didn't know where he was. He knew he had been too hard on him, but what else could he do? Ron was being tormented by the Horcrux and…he _wanted_ to leave. He looked over at Hermione who held onto Ron's scarf. Her fingers were tracing little patterns on it. He wished he could comfort her, but again, there was nothing he could do.

He knew exactly how she felt. She was between a rock and a hard place. She couldn't tell Ron she loves him, for fear of ruining their friendship. It reminded him of himself and Draco. He smiled, but shook his head immediately. Whenever he thought of Draco he became distant. Now was not the time to be distant.

"You get some sleep," He told Hermione who looked up at him with moist eyes. "I'll take the first watch." She nodded and climbed into bed, still holding onto the scarf.

"Are you sure we can sleep here?" Odan asked, jumping on the forest floor to test its softness. That was one thing about Odan Draco never understood. That boy really liked his sleep. He nodded his head and set up another fire. This routine was getting old.

He reached into his tote and pulled out a map. He had been studying it ever since Odan suggested they do something to help and he was determined to figure out what. He thought the map would help him think of something, but it didn't. What good is a map when you don't know where you want to go?

He sighed and pulled out the Quibbler instead. The front page was still concerning Luna. She was missing and her father was starting to set rewards out for whoever can find her.

Then he remembered something he noticed when he flipped through the Daily Prophet. A wand maker was missing, also. And so was a Goblin. He smiled to himself and walked over to Odan who was mixing, what appeared to be grass, into a large pot.

"I think I know where to go." He said, barely able to contain the grin on his face. It was a respectable idea. Voldemort was obviously nowhere near his house, and where else would all these people be? As soon as the words, 'my house' left Dracos lips, Odan was on board. He was practically beaming with excitement. He was going to save Gale.

They immediately stated marking their course. It was going to be a much faster journey to get back, because now they had a destination. Draco couldn't help but hide his nerves, however. This plan may have been brilliant, but it was rather risky, as well. He was putting a lot at stake here, and whether or not it's worth it is still unknown.

"Oi, you two again?" The innkeeper grunted when he saw Draco and Odan standing there with smiles on their faces. It was early evening and they very easily could have kept riding the train to the next town, but they decided it would be more fun to pay their old friend a visit first.

They received the same warning as before, but this time it was more of a harsh whisper, like someone important was staying here. Draco simply rolled his eyes and walked to his room. Odan decided he wanted some more snacks for the road, so he went to the market that also happened to be the lobby. Draco hopped the old muggle innkeeper didn't give him any grief.

He took out Harrys picture and set it on the nightstand while he undressed. He hopped between the warm, but slightly scratchy, sheets.

"What's this?" Odan asked as he picked up Harrys picture from the night stand. Draco had forgotten to re-conceal it before he fell asleep last night. He cursed himself as he snatched it out of Odan's hand and put it back in his pocket.

"What's what?" Draco asked, leaving behind the obvious message that if Odan knew what was good for him, he'd drop it.

He didn't. "That picture of Harry. What is that?"

"You just answered your own question, idiot."

"No. You know what I mean. Why do you have it?" Draco shot him a dirty look and Odan finally got the hint.

They traveled on a cobble stone path for about two hours before they were greeted by civilization. Draco immediately recognized it as the path they had walked on too get to Odan's house for the first time. It, apparently, brought back many memories of Gale, seeing as Odan talked about Gale the entire way. Draco only smiled; it was cute to see Odan so excited about his lover. Could they be called lovers? Draco shrugged. He was going to refer them as lovers from now on, whether or not it was the proper term.

They arrived at the town of Elgin. This was the first town Draco spent the night at when he ran away. He noticed more and more Hogwarts kids around. They were staying in hotel rooms, and wandering around in the shops. That meant summer was over, and school was starting again. Had he really been gone that long? He knew he wasn't going back to school this year. Harry said he wasn't either, so what was the point of going when there was so much work to be done?

"We're booked," This innkeeper said. Draco had remembered the wizarding hotel, but apparently they'd need to find somewhere else.

They decided to camp out tonight. They learned from a Ravenclaw boy…named Bryan…that there was a campsite not too far off. That's where a good proportion of students hung out before it was actually time for school, which started tomorrow.

Odan met up with a lot of his friends, so he was basically gone for the whole night, leaving Draco alone in the tent. He didn't mind, in fact he was happy to finally have some time to think…mainly about one person in particular.

"Any other news?" Harry asked Ron, who was filling him in on all things going on in the outside world. Harry had jumped into a freezing lake to get the sword of Gryffindor, when Ron appeared out of nowhere and plucked him out. He also destroyed the Horcrux, and despite all that, Hermione still kicked his ass when he returned. "Concerning…Draco?"

"Not exactly." Ron said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Apparently Gale, a guy he befriended, was captured for harboring him."

"Wait, what? A guy? Did Draco get captured too?" Harry asked excitedly, subconsciously sitting closer to Ron.

"Malfoy met up with a Gryffindor and two muggles the day after Hogwarts let out. Somehow, You-Know-Who figured out where he was staying and went over there."

"So…he did get captured?" Harry asked, his heart steadily sinking deep into his stomach.

"No, the Death Eaters could only find the Gryffindor. Lestrange took him to Malfoy manner."

"What about the two muggles?" Harry asked reluctantly.

Ron shook his head. "They burned the house with them inside."

Harrys blood boiled. How could they be so barbaric? He was going to avenge them, he promised himself. They would pay. "And you're sure Draco's safe?" He asked after a moment of silence.

"Malfoy? Yeah he's fine. Long gone, probably."

Harry shook his head. "No, Malfoy wouldn't just leave." Then it hit him.

Malfoy was going home.

"This is your house?" Odan asked, staring dumbly at Malfoy manner. It was dark, of course, and off-putting. But it was grand and expensively decorated. Draco nodded.

"Yeah this is it. There's a back door that leads into the kitchen, we could sneak in there at night, when it's empty and make our way to the dungeon. From there…we'll rely on luck." He said honestly. "Right now, we camp out and pray my father hasn't upped his security."

Odan could only nod at Draco's plan. It was sound enough for him. He kept his eyes locked on the front door. "I'm coming, Gale." He whispered to himself.

He looked back at Draco who had started putting up the tent and wondered how he ended up the way he had. He was nothing like his reputation was supposed to be. He was…almost like a Gryffindor. He smiled faintly to himself and shook his head. Harry was one lucky guy.

He looked back at the Malfoy door. He was a lucky guy, too.

* * *

><p>Now we've peeked into two other peoples POV's. :)<p>

Thanks for the idea, Lemo Smith. I know you said I should do a whole chaper, but.. I just got your review, so I just threw in those little pieces.

Devil Subaru Chan, what kind of story would it be if the main character didn't do something reckless and get captured? :)

Bubbie, Night elf = awesome. Great Halloween idea.

Lidsworth, Thanks for the review! I hope you liked this chapter.

T-TrainOrTurkeyT, He will, don't worry.

Sorry for the short replys, but I wanted to upload this before I go...and I'm super late!

Thanks for reading!


	11. Chapter 11

Summer Again  
>Chapter 11<p>

His heart was beating wildly in his chest. He tried to control his breathing as the shadow moved closer. He was in the perfect position and the slightest wrong move would give him away instantly. The smell of cigars filled his nose as he turned his head slowly to get a glimpse of his pursuer. He was tall, and round. His beard was untrimmed and disheveled. He held his wand in a ready position, aiming all around him.

"I know you're here you little runt." He called. "I can smell you."

Draco scoffed. No he couldn't. He and Odan had dosed themselves in mud and leaves. He was undistinguishable from the woods itself. A rabbit moved to his left and a bright light erupted all around him. He heard the man laughing.

"Now I've got you." The man sang as he moved toward his prey. Draco looked over at him; he was hovering over a bush, trying to look inside without touching it. Finally, he gave up and stuck his hand in. "What the-" He pulled out a dead rabbit. His laugh erupted throughout the forest. "You little bugger. I thought you were a threat." He tossed the dead carcass aside and walked away. Draco let out a small sigh and retrieved the rabbit. It was nice and fat, so he carried it back to camp. No point in wasting its death, right?

"Dinner," Draco said as he threw the rabbit down in front of Odan. He looked at it and shook his head, but cooked it none-the-less. As soon as it was cooked, they extinguished the fire and hoped no one noticed it. But they couldn't starve, could they?

The morning came a lot faster than it was supposed to, and they were forced to camp out another night. They threw their stuff up in a tree and spent the whole day avoiding guards. Odan was complaining left and right. He was tired of standing around outside while Gale was probably being tortured right before him. He was getting antsy, Draco could tell. He needed to get this over with quickly for both their sakes.

Draco turned and whistled. He saw Odan run from the woods and attach himself immediately on the wall next to Draco. They gave each other a nod and proceeded to the back door. Draco peered inside. It was empty.

"Okay. I'll go in first and make sure the path is clear. Give me 5 minutes." Draco said. Odan nodded and he entered through the door. He was immediately filled with the memories he had been trying desperately to forget. He crept in the shadows slowly making his way toward the dungeons.

Everything was fine, so he waited here for Odan, who appeared a few minutes later. He held a giant grin on his face, unable to wipe it away. Draco smiled back at his attempts. It was hilarious to watch.

They turned the knob and crept down the dark stairway that smelled of mold.

* * *

><p>He heard Hermione running beside him. She was breathing loudly and grunted every now and then. She was no runner, so this must be agony for her. He cursed himself and hoped Hermione would keep strong. He heard Ron scream somewhere behind him, and he heard Hermione gasp. He knew all was lost.<p>

"Harry!" He looked over at Hermione but he was shot in the face with a spell that made his face hurt like Hell.

* * *

><p>He felt a cold hand yank him up out of the dungeon stair case. He was spun around to see a hideous man smiling a lecherous smile at him. He had black teeth and scars all over his face. Just looking at him sent a chill throughout his body.<p>

"And what would you be doing down_ here_?" His breath smelled disgusting and Draco wanted to vomit. He looked over his shoulder to see Odan was being pinned up against the wall by Bellatrix. Draco looked back at his captor and spit in his face. "Why you-!" He yelled before he was cut off by Bellatrix.

"Oh is this Draco-baby?" She yanked Odan closer so she could see. When she did, she dropped Odan and tangled her arms around Draco's middle. "Oh my, my. The Lord will be so pleased to see you." She whispered in his ear. Then she laughed loudly. "Take him to his room! He needs to be cleaned up for his presentation. As for the other…he wanted to go to the dungeons. Let's not deny our guest their wishes."

Odan was thrown into the dungeon. He heard Gale's voice and almost smiled. At least they were together now…

He was thrown into his room. A maid washed and dressed him. He looked like he had not been away at all. His hair had been trimmed and his dark circles were concealed with makeup of some sort. He was on his way to his dining room when he heard it. It was a scream that almost shattered his ear drums.

"Please," He heard the victim plead with a gasp of breath. He then, picked up his pace. He knew that voice. He knew it!

* * *

><p>Ron was on the urge of a break down. He was being forced to hear her screams and there was nothing he could do about it. He was by the door, demanding Hermione to be let go and harmed no further. Harry didn't know how Ron assumed that would work; it didn't.<p>

So he took this moment to look around again. Luna was having some sort of conversation with herself and there were two boys were cuddled in a corner. One had blue eyes and a higher pitched voice. The brown eyed one had a much deeper voice and was much more serious looking. They interested Harry so he leaned against a wall, closed his eyes and listened intently to what they were saying.

"I'll kill them, Gale. I'll kill them for hurting you." The one with brown eyes whispered.

The blue eyed one talked next. "No, I'm just glad you came for me. I know everything will be okay now…but where is Bryan?"

"Gale. You know his name isn't really Bryan."

Gale giggled_. Giggled._ "I know, but I can't stop calling him that."

"Well. He's here too. We were going to break you out. But we got caught just outside. They threw me in here and took him elsewhere."

"You don't think they're going to…"

"No. He lives here."

Wait a second... "Excuse me," Harry said, growing closer to the two boys. "Who are you talking about?"

"Our friend, Bryan." Gale said. He giggled again. "I mean, I guess you might know him as Draco."

"Draco? Draco is here? Who are you? Why were you with him?" He was too excited, but he didn't care. Draco was here!

* * *

><p>"What's going on?" Draco asked angrily as he saw Bellatrix straddling Hermione.<p>

"Ah, Draco. Welcome." Lucius said as he strode over and placed a hand on Dracos shoulder. He shrugged it off and ran over to Hermione. Her eyes were glassy and she looked up at him, begging with her eyes. He looked over at her forearm. 'Mudblood' had been carved into it and he was filled with rage. He threw Bellatrix off and helped Hermione up.

"Are you okay?" He asked stupidly as he hugged her. Suddenly, she was removed from his arms and he was slapped across the face.

"How _dare_ you care for a _Mudblood?" _Lucius asked angrily. Suddenly Bellatrix appeared with Ron and a boy with dark brown hair, who looked suspiciously like Harry. Then he met those brilliant green eyes and had a Hell of a time trying to contain his grin. His heart skipped a beat, even though his face was distorted and downright hideous. An obvious attempt at trying to hide his identity. He looked away quickly; if he looked any longer he would run over to him and kiss him to death on the spot.

"I want to make sure it's actually him before we call the Lord." Bellatrix said as she grabbed Harry by the arm and yanked him over to Draco. "Now, Draco baby, tell me…is this Harry Potter?"

He looked down at Harry. He was beautiful, even in this hideous state. He felt the urge to kiss him again, and looked away. He shook his head, "I can't be sure."

* * *

><p>The door was wide open and their exit was within reach. He looked at Gale and smiled. "We're free," He said as he led Gale up the stairs, down the hall and out the kitchen door.<p>

"What about Draco?" Gale asked once they were outside.

"He'll be fine, we've got to get you out of here," Odan said as he looked over his love. He was covered in scars. His perfect skin forever tainted. "I can't believe I let this happen to you." He whispered as he took Gale in his arms and planted a kiss on his lips.

Gale kissed back, but then pushed away. "We need to help him, Odan."

* * *

><p>Many things happened all at once. Draco wasn't exactly sure how to explain it, but dobby appeared, the chandelier fell, almost hitting Bellatrix, who threw a dagger at the appapartating form of Harry, Hermione, Ron, Dobby and a few others Draco didn't recognize. Harry called repeatedly for Draco to 'Hurry up and grab my hand!' but it was too late, they were gone, and so was the dagger.<p>

Who had it hit? Was Harry okay?

These questions repeated in his head, over and over again. People were yelling at him, hitting him, threatening him. He didn't care, all he was concerned about was seeing if Harry was okay. He had to get out of here.

A pain shot through his left forearm. He looked at it and noticed the familiar rash start to form. He sighed and looked for his first victim. Bellatrix. She had to go first. She tortured Hermione, and killed someone in Harry's group. She _had_ to go first. He threw her to the ground and aimed his wand at her neck.

Sadly, he was ripped off of her by a pair of strong arms.

"My, my, Draco. Why have you become so aggressive?" The cold, snake-like voice filled the room. He flared his arms and legs, trying to free himself from the hold. "How you have changed." He chuckled and dropped Draco. "I believe you'll be even harder to break now." He added under his breath.

"You will not break me." Draco snapped, his voice was cold as ice.

He was sent into the dungeons. No one was here now. Where had Gale and Odan gone? They weren't in the group that apaparated with Harry…so were they still here?

"Gale," He called into the darkness. "Odan,"

No response came, so he sat against a wall. He thought of Harry again. He was so close to him. He should have touched him. Oh how he wanted to feel his touch. He knew Harry was okay. He could sense it. But, he was so far. Would he even come back for him? He sighed and shook his head.

_I'm in a real shit hole_. He thought bitterly.

How long had he been here? A day? A week? He wasn't sure, but he knew it was a while. He hated the smells that came from all over the chamber. There was the smell of mold, of course. But the worst of all was the smell of human decay. It reeked here. He tried to scoot closer to the door for some fresh air, but none came.

His thoughts never strayed from Harry for a moment, but he couldn't help but wonder: 'what's going to happen to me?'

His stomach had been growling hours before a house elf arrived with a tray of food. She held a knife towards Dracos sitting position as she set the tray down and exited rather swiftly. He crawled over to look at his meal. A chicken leg was all he could distinguish, so he started with that first. It was cold and flavorless, but good none the less.

He heard the door knob twist again and he jumped into the shadows. Voldemort appeared in the lighted threshold. His eyes skimmed the darkness and fell on where Draco was standing.

"There's no use hiding in the darkness, my boy. It cannot shield you." He walked in and closed the door behind him. He looked very weak, almost as if just standing was a burden. Apparently it was and he leaned against a wall. "Come and talk with me,"

Draco remained in his shadow. Even if Voldemort could see him, he wasn't moving. It gave him a sense of security, no matter how false it was. "I'll remain here, thank you." He said with as much venom as he could muster.

"Very well, then I shall come to you," He took an upright position and walked over, stopping in front of the blonde haired boy. "You've been away a long time. I fear you've forgotten my powers."

"What powers?" Draco spat. "Your only power is murder."

This made the Dark Lord laugh. "Oh, the eyes of the youth," He sighed. Then he forcefully placed a hand on Draco's collar bone, forcing his back against a wall. Draco ceased his struggling when the Voldemort leaned his face down, mere inches away from Draco's. "You will regret speaking to me that way." He threatened his voice harsh. "You see, you're in my territory now, Draco. You're only option is to do what I say."

Draco avoided all eye contact while Voldemort spoke. He wasn't going to give him the luxury of having a broken prisoner. Draco would die rather than bow down to Voldemort. An outcome, he was sure, to happen.

"I will give you two options." The Dark Lord said optimistically as he removed his face from Dracos. "Either you do exactly as I say, and be treated as my favorable follower, or…you can disobey and be punished severely."

"It seems to me like a punishment either way." Draco said before he was slapped across the face. He didn't respond to it like Voldemort clearly wanted him to. He simply looked in Voldemort's cold eyes and flashed obvious signs of hatred.

"Now, I will give you some time to decid-"

"I don't need time; I will never bow to you."

"Very well." Voldemort said as he nodded his head. "Your pain will be immense and any screams from you will only bring me pleasure."

"I will never give you the pleasure of hearing me scream."

Voldemort looked at Draco with an amused expression. "Interesting choice of words…"

* * *

><p>...<p>

Devil Subaru Chan, I'm guessing things are going to be pretty bad for Draco... :(

Lemo Smith, Haha, I can't believe I missed that. Thanks for pointing it out though! Please do so again if you notice something else. I have a feeling there are alot of mistakes around this story.. -_-  
>Don't apologize for the suggestion, I appreciate it. I didn't realize I haven't been spereating the scenes.<br>Unfortunatly, I can't seem to get the breaks to stay there when I save the file, so I'm using those lines. I hope that makes it at least a little better...

bubbie, I am a major game nerd. And actually, the reason why I didn't upload yesterday was because I was playing WoW...I really wanted to get Loque'Nahak tamed. (I DID!) :)  
>And don't worry, I have no intention of abandoning this story, no matter how much it sucks. I enjoy writing alot.<p>

Anyway, the next couple weeks I'm doing my annual 'Travel Around' Which means I'll be visiting various family members across the map. So if I don't upload everyday, that's why. Just bear with me :)

Thanks for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

Summer Again  
>Chapter 12<p>

The salty wind blew through Harry's hair as he stood on a hill overlooking the ocean. He had just finished burying his little friend. His heart ached as he looked at the little pile of loose dirt that covered Dobby's body.

"You were too young to go," He said sadly. He looked at his blistered palms and sighed loudly. He already missed the little elf. He heard footsteps behind him and shook his head. "It's all my fault." He admitted more to himself than Ron.

"No it wasn't mate," Ron said sadly, tentatively approaching. "No one blames you…it was unexpected."

Harry shook his head again. He knew Ron spoke the truth, but what else could he do besides blame himself? He was wrong to have called Dobby there. But if he hadn't, who knows what could have happened? He would be in the hands of Voldemort and everyone else would probably be dead. He sighed as he thought of Draco. "I need to get Draco," He turned on his heels and made for the safe house.

Ron grabbed Harry's sleeve, stopping them both. "And do what? Get yourself killed?"

"I can't let anyone else die because of me!" Harry yelled. He got angry so quickly as of late. He sighed and looked at his hand "He was so close…"

Draco stared down at his empty palm as a tear fell down his cheek. He never felt so violated before in his whole life. _I need you, Harry_. He pleaded inside his own mind. He stared at the door and wondered how long he had until the Dark Lord came back for more. Perhaps next time he'll go even further. He touched the lips that felt extremely dirty on his face. He cringed as he remembered the way Voldemort's felt against them. He spat on the floor and crawled over to where his shirt lay discarded on the floor. With a final look as his bruised chest, he covered himself and sank low in the corner.

"_I've always had an interest in you, Draco_" The words rang inside his head_. "I can barely contain myself. I will have you soon,"_ Draco pictured the smile that crept onto Voldemort's face before he left. He knew he was coming back…but when?

_Is this what is has come to, then?_ Draco asked himself bitterly. _Am I just going to sit here and wonder how long I have until I'm to be assaulted again? _Enraged, he stood up and began pacing the floor. His mind raced of all the possibilities of escape he had. Every one fell through. He was trapped, but all hope wasn't lost.

Perhaps Harry has found what he had set out to find. Perhaps Voldemort's downfall is just around the corner. His mind then came to Gale and Odan. He smiled; they were together now. He had fixed what he had broken and realized that thought would keep him sane for a while.

Life in the dungeon was incredibly annoying. No light apart from the single burning candle near the door. No noise apart from his own breathing, and no comfortable place to sit. He became agitated by all these factors every now and then, but thing that annoyed him most was that his mind seemed to be on a continuous loop.

He began counting to pass the time. His mind always wondered, however, and he easily lost track of his number whenever he went over one thousand. He was currently sitting in the darkest corner of the dungeon when the door opened. He sucked in a breath and drew himself into a little ball. _Don't touch me_, he repeated in his head as he snapped his eyes shut and wished for the intruder to leave.

"Oi," The female house elf called from the door. "Where are you? Come into the light, and no funny business, I'm armed."

Draco slowly opened his eyes and noticed that his intruder was the same elf that brought him his meals every day. She never interacted with him before, and this sparked his curiosity. He did as she asked, slowly approaching the small flame. She grunted when she saw him

"You're too skinny. I hear you haven't been eating my food. Is it not good enough for you?" She asked rudely as she set the tray down and crossed her arms. She gave a clicking sound with her tongue when Draco didn't respond. "You had better start eating. The master says you're going to need your strength."

Draco cringed as she said this. "I'd rather starve." Draco said stubbornly as he returned to his corner.

"Look here," She said loudly and obviously angrily. "I don't really give a damn for you wizards, but nutrition is one thing I take seriously. Eat the damn food, you ungrateful little..." She trailed off as she slammed the door shut behind her. Draco waited until he heard the faint 'click' sound before smiling to himself. He quite liked that elf.

Draco eyed the steaming plate for a good three minutes before going to eat it. He didn't know what he was waiting for; his stomach was growling the whole time. But once he decided to eat, the food was gone within seconds. He smiled triumphantly as he sat the empty tray by the door and waited for the cleaning elf to retrieve it. That elf didn't play any games. He quickly opened the door and shut it faster than Draco could register the door had even been opened.

"What if we sneak in the kitchens?" Gale thought aloud from the tent. He heard Odan sigh from somewhere outside.

"You've said that fifteen times, Gale, and each time my answer will be the same. No."

"Well how else do you expect we get in?"

"Idunno, wait for a meteor to fall from the sky. Then, while everyone is out here looking at it, we can waltz in."

Gale rolled his eyes angrily and tossed a shoe out of the tent flap, smiling when he heard a 'thunk' and a grunt.

Draco awoke to the smell of peppermint. It filled his nose almost as if he was swimming in the sent. He opened his eyes further and jumped up when he heard the door unlock and swing open. His father stood at the threshold, nothing visible but the outline of his figure as he stood in front of the flame.

He stared at said figure for minutes before anyone said anything. Lucius was the first to speak. "Come here, son."

"Do not call me that," Draco spat from the shadows. He felt like an animal and with good reason. He was being treated no better than one. "I have not been your son for quite some time."

"Don't be so stupid. We share the same blood. You will always be my son."

"Then I'll see you in Hell,_ father_." He spat once more. He crouched low to the floor, ready to pounce should Lucius pull his wand. "Why are you here?"

"I have come to see how you are doing. All is well, I trust?"

Draco growled and Lucius laughed.

"You have turned rabid, my boy. Where are the manners I taught you?" Draco growled once more as he finally leaped from the shadows and landed on his father. He searched his robes for a wand but found he had nothing in them. "Do you really think I'd come with a wand?" Lucius chuckled from under Draco. He pulled his fist back and smiled when it made contact with his father's face. Blood poured from his mouth as Draco continuously assaulted it. He enjoyed this immensely, it actually almost scared him. But he shrugged it off with a final blow to the gut.

The old man coughed and wheezed when the assault subsided. He slowly regained his breath and another smile crept up onto his face.

Draco spat and crawled off. He returned to his shadows and watched as his father left the dungeon laughing. He sat there pondering the encounter. It was very strange, indeed, and Draco couldn't help but feel like Lucius wanted to talk about something, but decided not to when he realized Draco had gone insane.

_Am I really going insane?_ He looked down and it hands. They were filthy; caked with dried blood and dirt. He knew his hair was just as filthy as he felt it start to form clumps around his face. He searched the room for the cup of water the female elf had brought him earlier. It was mostly gone but he rinsed his hands with it anyway. He could see the color of his skin once more, and though he desperately wished for a bar of soap, he was content with the job it had done.

"Didn't we agree on helping Draco?" Gale asked quietly from behind. His voice was so sweet and innocent, but it was also strained. The mixture was so cute, Odan couldn't help but smile.

"We did, yes" Odan replied with a glance over his shoulder. Gale was struggling with the heavy backpacks he insisted on carrying. He slowed down and took a few bags from the younger boy, who expressed his gratitude with a great sigh and a roll of his shoulders. "Why?"

"It's just…I don't understand how we're helping him at all if were just aimlessly wandering around! We've got no direction and no plan! We _could_ come up with a plan, but you insist on wasting all your energy on moving around and dismissing every word I say!" Odan was taken aback by the sudden ambush.

He tried to make his eyes normal size as he came up with a reply. "I don't mean to dismiss every word you say.."

Gale huffed. "The can we please take a rest for a minute and put Draco first?"

Odan nodded as he set down his bags and help Gale do the same. The silence was routinely interrupted by a shuffling of leaves and some bird chirpings all around. It was summer again, then. Odan hardly had the time to notice. How long had all this been going on, anyway?

"Odan,"

Odan replied with a 'hmm' sound, but was intently focused on Draco. Gale was right; they had to help their friend. He had selfishly forgotten as soon as he had Gale in his arms, but not anymore. Draco needed them.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell…I'm just a little stressed is all." Odan looked up to see Gale fiddling with his thumbs. He was so cute! He scooted closer to the younger boy and wrapped him up in his arms once more.

"Don't apologize. I was too focused on keeping you safe. I forgot you don't like that." Gale giggled into Odan's chest and nodded his head in agreement. He hadn't changed at all, despite the scars that covered his body. He was still the same Gale. How was that possible? "What did they do to you in there?"

He felt Gale tense up immediately at the question. Strange as it may be, it relaxed Odan a little. If Gale was completely unbothered by his experience with Voldemort, something was wrong. "You know, just the normal stuff they do in dungeons." Gale said with an attempt at being lighthearted. Odan saw right through it. "They tortured me a bit. Hence the scars…but no big deal. I knew you would save me."

Odan kissed the top of his head. "Not fast enough."

"No, you were right on time." Gale said as he pushed Odan away. "Let's start planning." Although Odan wanted to press the 'right on time' matter further, he nodded his head in agreement.

"What do you remember, security wise?"

"Well. It was pretty tight. The only timed the door opened was for the house elf and the torturer."

The door was flung open but, for some reason, Draco was expecting it. He didn't even flinch at the sudden loud noise that echoed off the walls of his chamber. He was surprised, however, at the man that stood in the door way. It was a man he truly did not recognize. He was bald and cleanly shaven. His left eye was pure white, and his left was green. He was wearing freshly pressed grey robes, and it was apparent to Draco that this man cared greatly for his appearance.

He strode over to the candle and whistled. A house elf appeared and placed a small table where the strange man stood. The elf snapped his fingers and a black bag appeared on the table. The elf then sat beside the table and stared at Draco.

"Please step forth; I am in no mood to fetch you." It took Draco a moment to realize he was being spoken to. The man's voice was smooth and almost pleasing to hear. He did not trust this man, however. He knew he was evil by the scent he harbored. It was, if a smell could be described so, dark. There was cologne that almost made the dark smell indistinguishable, but of course, Draco could smell it. He pondered for a second why he smelled things so well, but remembered what the man asked. He stood and slowly approached the duo of strangeness.

The house elf narrowed his eyes when Draco came into view and mumbled something under its breath. Draco returned the glare as the rather tall man turned around. He looked down at Draco with an amused smile on his mouth. A gold tooth shined in the candle light. "Draco, isn't it?"

"What are you?" Draco spat. He didn't like these visitors, or the way that black bag smelled of iron.

"Lose the attitude, my pet. You don't want to be on my bad side." This earned a chuckle from the crouched elf, who left the dungeon. "But, to answer your question, I'm the torturer."

"Torturer? For what?"

"You, of course. My lord, they told me you were intelligent." The elf re-entered with a chair. Draco noted the chair had straps, obviously for wrists and ankles. _Bring it on, then. _He thought. He prepared himself for this. He knew it was coming. He was ready.

"Get on with it, then." Draco said impatiently as he sat himself down in the chair without being asked. The little ugly elf started strapping him in as the man laughed.

"Oh I love your type." The torturer mumbled. He cleared his throat and started again. "My name is Seymour and I'm going to ask you a few questions. If you answer honestly, I will leave. If not…well I suppose we'll get to know each other a lot better, eh?"

Draco rolled his eyes. The cruciatus curse. Real original, he scoffed inwardly. Despite his defiant posture and face of stone, he was terrified. He never felt the cruciatus curse before, but he knew it was painful. Memories flashed across his mind's eye. Images of the poor people he had to witness squirming in pain. He shivered slightly. Luckily Seymour didn't notice.

"Now," Seymour said with a smile as he looked Draco fully in the face. "What is your relationship with Harry Potter?"

"Why the Hell does that matter?"

"It's here in the book," Seymour held up a little book bound with brown leather. Draco immediately recognized the handwriting. It was his fathers. Why did his father want to know that question? He voiced this thought to Seymour who laughed. "Your father doesn't want to know, you idiot. Voldemort does."

Draco shook his head. He knew the handwriting was his fathers. "Whatever. I decline to answer."

"Is that so?" Seymour cooed as he placed his book down and picked up his wand instead. He pointed it at Draco and muttered the curse.

The pain that shot through his body was indescribable. Every nerve in his very being was being contorted and set on fire. He squirmed and shook in his chair. He could vaguely hear Seymour's voice, but couldn't hear the words. He was too busy with trying desperately to ease the pain. His hands tried to reach his body but the leather straps bound them to stay in place. The leather made the skin on his wrists go raw, but it was nothing compared to what was happening under his skin. How long was this going to last?

Finally the pain slowly subsided. He knew the wand was down and Seymour was obviously no longer focusing on the spell, but his nerves were still living every second of it. He was heaving and sweat poured from every inch of his body. Finally he opened his eyes to look at his abuser.

"I'm impressed. Not a sound escaped you." His voice was overly amused. "You control yourself quite well."

Draco tried to respond, but his mouth wouldn't move. He was still shaking as water was poured in his mouth.

"Drink up, eh? Can't have you losing your strength on me just yet." Draco had no choice but swallow the water that filled his mouth. Poisoned or not, it was in his system now. "You still haven't answered my question, pet. What is your relationship with Harry Potter?"

Draco bit his tongue. He didn't want to answer, but he didn't want to go through the curse again. Slowly he opened his mouth and uttered, "I de…cline…"

Seymour sighed loudly. "Well I must say, I've never met one who would rather take the cruciatus curse over answering a simple question…" After another thought he added, "Are you sure it's worth it?"

Draco glared at the bald man, forcing him to elaborate.

"I just mean…It's a simple question. I think I'd like to save up my energy or the tougher questions further down the list. It'd be easier on you.."

"Why are you…trying to help…?" Draco asked lamely as he tried to regain his breath. The man spoke the truth and he made perfect sense, but why?

Seymour shook his head as he placed a hand on Draco's bare shoulder. "I've never had to torture someone as beautiful as you are…it's tougher than I imagined."

Draco couldn't believe his ears. This man was insane. But he was reluctant to torture him and he made sense. "Our relationship is complicated."

This surprisingly made Seymour smile as he jotted down Draco's answer in the small book. Then he packed his bags and made his house elf carry out the table before he kneeled down in front of Draco.

"Now, pet. I know I said it's tough to torture you. But it is my job, and I like it." He loosed the straps on Draco's legs and helped them out. "Maybe I'll even learn to love the sight of you squirming beneath me." He smiled a sickly smile and licked Draco's leg. Then he loosed the straps on his wrists and was gone.

Draco curled his knees up to his chest and wondered why he seemed to attract all the sick bastards in the wizarding world.

* * *

><p>Wow. When I said I wouldn't upload everyday I had no idea it would be this bad. I actually have a great excuse. The driver of my marvelous adventures spilled coffee all over my little netbook, which is what I planned to use for writing while driving, then uploading whenever we got to hotel. So I was left without a computer on my adventure. I just bought a laptop at best buy, though. So hopefully it won't be so long before I upload again.<p>

Lemo Smith, I apologize for all those mistakes! Plus those in this chapter, and most likely the chapters after. Haha. Thanks again for bringing them to my attention. Now that I'm writing on the road, I'm sure there are plently more I've overlooked. :/ sorry about that. I'm not very good at checking my work. Bad habit, I know. -_-

Bubbie, You, my friend, are getting lazy. You don't even bother to sign in anymore? Haha. Just kidding. But I completely understand your excitement.  
>My favorite game has to be The Legend of Zelda. But not just the first one. All of them. XD It's too hard to pick just one. But if I HAD to...it'd be The Ocarina of Time. I play it every year. What's yours?<br>I'm SO sorry for not uploading. Like I said above, my boyfriend spilled coffee all over my computer. But I'm BACK! :D  
>Actually you hit the nail on the head. I'm from England, but am currently living in the States. Texas, actually. I'm not hitting Maine, but I'm going to Maryland. That's as close as I'll get, I'm afraid. :

Anyway. I'm off to bed. So I'm not re-reading this. :)

Thanks for reading!


	13. Chapter 13

**Warning:** Just for anyone who didn't notice, I've changed the rating from 'T' to 'M' because this chaper gets a little sexual. I tried to keep it clean, but I just want to be on the safe side. This chapter is the only reason I changed the rating, and everything should be back to normal next chapter.

Summer Again  
>Chapter 13<p>

He lay there for hours with his eyes closed before the door opened and someone walked in. He heard the intruder call his name a few times. He knew who it was and decided to try and 'play dead'. Alas, his intruder didn't care at all. He was prodded in the side repeatedly. Almost as if an impatient child were trying to wake his parents on Christmas morning. _Oddly out of character,_ Draco thought to himself before he finally gave up and opened his eyes. Voldemort was kneeling beside him, his groin hovering inches away from his head. He immediately sat up and scooted away.

"I'm sorry to disturb your slumber," He said slyly as he placed a hand on Dracos shoulder, stopping him from crawling away. "You seem scared,"

Draco spat on the floor. He was tired of the games Voldemort played. However the action came with a punishment. He was slapped across the cheek, leaving a burning sensation. Then he felt Voldemort's hard, cold lips pressing down against his chapped ones. He could handle the slap. Hell, he could handle the cruciatus curse. But this was something he couldn't take. He bit down on the tongue that tried to sneak its way in his mouth. His mouth filled with the taste of iron and his lips were free. He heard Voldemort curse under his breath and smirked.

"I have tried to be nice to you," Voldemort said nastily despite having a chunk of his tongue missing. "But I see now it is a wasted effort." Before Draco could react, he was thrown against the wall. He held in his scream though he was sure something had broken. Voldemort was by him within seconds. His twisted smile in Draco's face. "Did I hurt you, my dear?"

Draco growled at wailed at his assaulter. He never made contact, but the attempt earned him a punch in the face. The Dark Lord's hands trailed along Draco's bare chest, following the contours of his muscles and trail of bruises he received at their last encounter.

"I had feared your meeting with Seymour would calm you down a bit…" He brushed a stray piece of hair from the scowling face beneath him. "I'm pleased to see you haven't lost your fire…"

Suddenly the long cold fingers of the Dark Lord were in Dracos shorts. He jerked away and drew his knees up to his chest. He wasn't letting Voldemort have his way with him. He was still pure and wanted to save himself for the one he loved, the one who was allowed to touch him that way. Not this…monster.

Voldemort laughed and threw himself on top of Draco. Keeping his tongue to himself this time, the Dark Lords lips found Dracos once more. His shorts were gone and he was revealed to the pale faced demon, who smiled in approval. The cold fingers were grasping his groin, sending blood flowing there despite how much Draco loathed the feeling. The pale hand began to pump and Draco held in a moan.

He didn't want this by any means. In fact, he pushed and hit every inch of Voldemort, who wouldn't budge an inch. But he was a man, and his body had its own mind. He cursed and screamed to be let go of, but this only made Voldemort more forceful.

"Please," Draco finally begged. Voldemort paused and looked up at the young, silver-haired boy. "Please stop…"

"Not until Potter is found." His voice was cold, and almost amused. Draco gasped when his groin was once again being attended to. He wanted to question the matter more, but found he couldn't when he suddenly released. Voldemort even seemed to relax as he felt it. Draco took this as an opportunity and used all the strength he had remaining to knee Voldemort in the chin. He fell backwards and Draco made for the door. He opened it and-

"Hello pet."

Draco stumbled backwards. _No_, he thought angrily. _No!_ This was his one chance, his one attempt at escaping. He watched a wand rise up to his face and he stared at the tip. He heard the bald caster mumble the spell and watched the silver light erupt. And he was down.

* * *

><p>He felt his heart beat quicken as the blood rushed through his veins. He wanted to look away but couldn't. How could this be happening to him? Finally, with a great huff, he emerged from the tavern. He sulked across the street and into the inn. He didn't even notice he had just walked by! Gale kicked the nightstand by the bed and plopped down on it. He rested his chin in his fists and scowled. How could Odan be so insensitive?<p>

How long has it been now? Three hours? The skin on the bottom of his chin had gotten sore and he fell on his back. He started staring at the ceiling and tried to find pictures in the textures. Finally he heard the door open and sat up. Odan's face was flushed and he simply nodded to Gale as he removed his shirt and shorts and climbed into bed.

"Really?"

"Hm?"

Gale shook his head while biting his lip. This was ridiculous. He got up and walked over to the basin where he brushed his teeth and washed his face. He looked in the mirror and saw Odan staring back at him with a questioning stare. Gale glared back and continued with his enhanced hygiene routine. If there was one thing he learned while living in the Malfoy dungeon, it was to take care of his body.

Then he grabbed a sheet out of the closet and threw it over the sofa. He took a pillow and an extra blanket from the bed and made himself comfortable.

"What are you doing?" Odan asked from the bed.

"Going to sleep. Goodnight."

"Why are you sleeping over there?" Gale simply rolled his eyes and tried to go to sleep.

* * *

><p>The ringing sensation came first. It filled his ears with a high pitched sound that threatened to shatter his eardrums that very second. Then it was the pain in his left arm. What was that? He tried to get a focus on his surroundings. He was comfortable. Whatever he was laying on molded into the shape of his back. Soft sheets caressed his body at every angle. The sound finally faded away and he could hear a crackling, as if a there was a fire nearby. He opened his eyes and sat straight up. He looked around, panicked. Then he felt foolish when he realized it was only the fireplace. He lay down again, wishing he could return to that blissful state he was in moments ago.<p>

_Wait a second…fireplace?_ Draco opened his eyes for a second time and looked around. He was in a bedroom laced in eye pleasing colors of dark green and black. He was alone. He didn't think twice about how he got there as he jumped out of bed and made for the door. It was locked. _The window, then_. He ran over and pulled as hard as he could. Nothing. He noticed the bottom of the window was filled with some kind of gunk. Sighing in defeat, he walked into a corner and sat down. He was worried. How had he gotten there?

Hours passed and finally there was a knock at the door. An elf emerged. The same one from the dungeon. She was carrying another tray of food.

"Good, you're up. Thought you'd sleep all bloody day." She grunted as she set the tray down on the desk and turned to look at Draco more fully. "What are you doing over there?"

Draco awkwardly stood up, "I was just trying to figure out where I am."

The elf looked confused as she, too, looked around the room. "Ain't you recognize your own room?"

My room…? He looked around again. Yes, it was definatly his room. "Why am I out of the dungeon?"

She shrugged and told him it's best not to worry about. Then she practically forced the food down his throat, all the while saying it was best to have 'full tummies'.

"What's your name?" Draco hurriedly asked before she left. He needed someone normal to talk to, and this elf was definatly that someone. Though…on second thought she was the very opposite of normal. House Elves were supposed to do exactly as they were told. 'Yes sir' and 'No sir' was the only thing expected from their mouths. Yet this one was defiant. She held her own and Draco liked it. He wasn't sure whether it was because he was a prisoner and she thought herself equal, or she was just naturally this way. He didn't care, really. It was refreshing.

"Call me Billy,"

* * *

><p>How long was this supposed to take anyway? Didn't he say he'd be right back? Odan shifted his feet uncomfortably as he waited for his friend.<p>

This wasn't good, he decided after another five minutes passed. He scanned the crowd a few more times, with no luck. He knew he shouldn't leave this spot, but he was worried. He stood on the bench to get a better view of the room. He just couldn't see!

"Gale!" He called as he started shoving anyone who stood in his way. "Gale!"

No one answered his call. He was pushed back, and fell a few times. His knees were scrapped and he was sure he twisted something in his wrist. But he was focused on Gale, now. He didn't want to lose him again. This was too risky…how could he let Gale do this?

* * *

><p>"Why am I here?" Draco asked angrily as soon as his bedroom door opened. He didn't need to know who it was. Billy only came at 9 am and 6 pm. The janitorial house elf only came on Thursdays. It was approximately 11 pm on Monday. So that left two people. Both of which could answer the question.<p>

Voldemort rounded the wooden door and smiled at him. "Nice to see you, too."

Draco shot him a look that clearly said 'piss off' which only made Voldemort's smile grow wider.

Draco's breath hitched as Voldemort's cold hands found a very sensitive part of his body. The Dark Lord hovered over him, exploring with only his hands for now. Draco lay on his soft bed completely defenseless. He knew there was nothing he could do; Voldemort had cast a spell on him. He could feel his every nerve, but lacked the control it took to move his muscles. It was a very clever spell in Draco's opinion, truth be told. His face was untouched by the spell, leaving his threats and desperate pleas to roam from his lips.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked as Voldemort leaned in for a kiss. The Dark Lord withdrew at the question and looked at Draco in his silver pools. Draco stared back at the cold black orbs that seemed to pierce his very soul. He didn't answer the question as he looked back down at the pale teen's body that lay offered to him. He was surprisingly gentle as his hands roamed and, no matter how embarrassing, it excited Draco immensely. Not his mind, of course. His mind was in currently in a state of shock and desperation. He had to get out of this, but there was no way. He could only lay in agony, awaiting the pain and discomfort the night had to offer.

"Seymour could not gather all of the information from you," Voldemort said suddenly as he lowered his body onto Dracos. Their bare skin made brief contact which raised Goosebumps on Draco's skin. "He said you were too defiant for him, and he needed to come up with another approach. I, on the other hand, already had another approach in mind. One that you will surely…respond to." And with that being said, he stuck out his tongue and ran it from Draco's jaw to just below his eye. "I want to know where Harry is."

"I don't know where he is," Draco replied honestly, and not bothering to hide the worry and fear from his voice. He finally knew where this was going. Voldemort was going to ask, and either Draco would respond or he would be violated in the very worst way.

"I don't believe you." And with that, Voldemort unbuttoned Draco's pants and yanked them off, discarding them on the floor.

"I-I don't, honest!" Draco pleaded as Voldemort's hand found its way through the elastic barrier of his trousers. "Last time I saw him, we agreed it would be best if I didn't know anything." He already felt the guilt start to rise in the pit of his stomach. He was weak; he always knew that. Though he liked to think of himself as a tough guy, he always hid behind the threats of his father. He used his father's general reputation to his advantage. But he didn't have that anymore. He didn't have anything. He wasn't even sure if he still had Harry…

"Then what is he planning?" Voldemort asked, deciding to switch questions. His hand still hadn't left the front of Draco's trousers, leaving the area aflame with desire. His own body was betraying him.

"I don't know," Draco managed to squeak out. The trousers were gone now and he lay completely exposed to the Dark Lord once more.

"Wrong answer," The Dark Lord hissed as he thrust himself inside of the young wizard, who screamed uncontrollably at being violated. His body was given no time to adjust to the large organ that filled his body. The pain was immense, both physically and mentally. Voldemort thrust again and again, causing Draco's screams to grow louder and louder. _I'm sorry… _He thought quietly as Harrys face flashed in his mind's eye. Everything was ruined.

* * *

><p>Odan followed Gale silently. He didn't want to upset his friend any more than he already had…even if he didn't know what it was he had done in the first place. They were returning from their very first attempt at rescuing Draco. The night Odan had left Gale alone at the tavern seemed to give Gale a lot of ideas for their friends rescue. But why was he so angry?<p>

Finally they arrived at the inn and were settling into their room. Odan was sure he remembered this inn from when he and Draco were traveling together. This brought a smile to his face as he chuckled at the irony. Last time, Odan had pushed Draco into taking action. This time, it was Odan who was being pushed.

"So, today went well?" Odan asked awkwardly as Gale undressed in the corner. The younger teen simply nodded his head. "Gale, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Why do you ask?" His voice was hard and cold. Not at all like the Gale he remembered. No, this wasn't Gale at all. He voiced this aloud and Gale scoffed. "Yes I am." He argued before he left their room to go take a shower. He slammed the door shut behind him.

"The Gale I know doesn't like to slam anything…" He mumbled to himself as he lay down and tried to get some rest. When Gale returned they ordered a meal from the kitchens and ate in silence. Until a knock came at the door.

* * *

><p>This is the result of the most boring vacation ever. Sitting in a car for eight hours will do this to you. Be warned.<p>

Anyway, sorry for the bumped up rating. But I had to do it :)

Kunai Youki, YES! British pride! :D

bubbie, How stoked was I? Far beyond the recommended ammount of stoked-ness...(?) I couldn't sleep for weeks. Haha. But it's mine now. And I'm happy :)  
>Elder Scrolls are great. I enjoy them as well. I have Skyrim and yeah, its great.<br>Your aunt lives in Maryland? Cool.. We're visitng Baltimore. :)  
>No it's not weird. I like Seymour too. Everyone loves a bald man.<p>

Thanks for reading!


	14. Chapter 14

Summer Again  
>Chapter 14<p>

The hot water poured down on his bruised skin, soothing his aggravated nerves. The ache at the base of his back twinged, however, and he knew no amount of hot water was going to ease that. He didn't care though. He was focused on how great it felt to be able to clean himself. He could actually see the color of his skin again. It was even paler than normal due to his lack of activity outside. He missed the warmth of the sun, and the cool breeze that blew constantly this time of summer. But he could settle for this. The luxury of smelling soap and happily rubbing it on his skin was pure bliss. Yes, besides the dull ache in his lower back, he was happy.

That feeling banished the moment he shut off the water, though. Just as he expected, all good things must come to an end, after all. He dried off the stray drops of water from his skin and slid into a fresh pair of clothes. He enjoyed having these luxuries, but didn't like the price that came with them. He was tortured for information and defiled in the very worst way. The thought that angered him most was the thought that he was no longer pure. No longer was he saving himself for the one he truly loved. He thought back to last night and cringed. He had told Voldemort everything. Well, not everything, considering he didn't know very much to begin with. He was grateful for that much, at least. He had no valuable information in him besides the fact that Harry likes chocolate frogs and green apples.

It bothered him greatly to think that he would have easily given into Voldemort if he _had_ known information. And all it took was some uncomfortable touching. He sighed as he plopped into a chair and waited for Billy, who burst through the door not five minutes later.

"Good morning," She huffed as she set the tray down in front of him. "I see you finally took a shower, thank heavens." Draco couldn't help but smile at her despite his depressed mood. "You feelin' alright?" She asked concerned as he looked up at him with her big grey eyes. "You look pale."

He chuckled lightly, "I'm fine. I've just washed off all the dirt." She smiled sympathetically as she filled his glass with water. She tried to make conversation by asking how his night went, but he clammed up and awkwardly shook his head. He guessed she took the hint and left. He was sad when she did. That elf could always take his mind off things. But the second she left, he was bombarded with his thoughts once again.

He didn't have much to occupy himself with, apart from his newly obtained habit of counting. He had a few books on his shelf, all of which had been read at least twice when he was a kid. He found a lot of parchment hidden under his mattress, all of which were blank. He wracked his mind trying to figure out what he had kept it there for, but couldn't think of anything. So he started to draw. He mainly drew Harry. He tried desperately to remember every inch of the green-eyed teens face. How he wanted to look at those eyes one last time. Then he remembered the picture he had cut out of the Daily Prophet. Where had that gotten off to…?

* * *

><p>Gale hopped up out of his chair and walked over to the door. Odan watched as the small blonde boy stood up on his toes to look through the peep hole. With an audible sigh, Gale lowered himself, turned and looked directly at Odan. His eyes were cold and his lips were pursed as he leaned over and turned the nob. Without looking away, he opened the door to reveal a woman with long red hair and soothing hazel eyes. A small smile appeared on her lips when she saw Odan.<p>

"Odan," She said as she took half a step towards him. She noticed Gale standing by the door and blushed formed on her cheeks. "Was I interrupting something?"

Odan shook his head with a glance at Gale. "No, we were just eating dinner." Gale's eyes narrowed and Odan shot him a questioning look. The younger teen simply shook his head and left without another word.

"So, how are you?" Ginny asked quietly, looking at the now closed door. "Who was that?"

"That was Gale,"

"Oh?" Her face lit up as she clapped her hands together. "He's adorable!" Odan sighed and looked at Gale's uneaten dinner.

"Something's wrong with him. He's not the same."

"What do you mean?"

Odan proceeded to tell Ginny about how Gale has pulled a complete 180 in the past few days. He purposely left out their little side mission for information regarding Harry Potter, and Gale being trapped in the Malfoy dungeon. All Ginny knew was that he and Gale were just passing through town. And that Odan has a huge crush on his traveling companion.

"Maybe he's stressed about the trip." Ginny offered uncertainty. Odan nodded, though he knew it wasn't the trip at all. If only he could get Gale to talk…

* * *

><p>He tried desperately to focus on the task at hand. Hermione sat across from him with her nose pressed in a book. He recalled her telling him what it was about, but he couldn't remember for the life of him. Ron was somewhere outside on patrol. Harry winced at the word 'patrol'. But it reminded him how serious their situation really is. Hell, they couldn't even say Voldemort's name without being caught on the spot. He shook his head and tried to focus, which apparently, was a very hard task indeed.<p>

Thinking about searching for a Horcrux was a very tedious thing to do. They could be anything! And thinking about it wasn't doing any good. They needed to get out there. They needed to find clues and hints from anywhere they can….but they can't. Because they needed to stay hidden. On second thought, 'tedious' didn't cover it. It was certainty beyond tedious.

He sighed and wondered what Draco was going through right now. Probably a lot worse that the mind game he found himself in at the moment. He hoped his silver-haired love wasn't in too much danger. It pained him to think Draco was being hurt. A new sense of determination filled through his being as he refocused on his surroundings. This time, succeeding.

"Harry are you paying attention to me?" Hermione asked angrily. Obviously all this stress was getting to everyone. Harry awkwardly nodded, but asked her to repeat what she had just said. She sighed, "I said, I think I have an idea about what the next Horcrux is."

* * *

><p><em>1,251…1,252…1,253…1,254…<em>

Draco stopped counting as he looked toward the door. He thought he heard something, but when nothing happened, he readjusted himself and closed his eyes once more.

_1,255…_

This time he was sure he heard a knock. He hopped up out of his chair and looked at the door. Usually his intruders would open it themselves, considering they were the ones to unlock it.

"Well are you going to come in or not?" Draco asked angrily as he stared at the unmoving door knob.

"I have yet to be invited." The reply came quietly and Draco had to strain his hears just to hear it. He couldn't tell whose voice it was because it was muffled by the thick door.

"Come in, then!" Draco exclaimed. He wasn't sure why this bothered him so much, but there it was. He was bothered to no visible end.

"I think you should open it."

"I can't"

"Why not?"

"It's locked, you blithering idiot."

"Is it?"

Draco had had enough of this game with his invisible opponent. He threw his hand on the knob and twisted.

Only to come face to face with Seymour. But, obviously, that's not what surprised him. His door was unlocked. Had it always been unlocked? Could he have had room to escape right in front of his nose all this time? He stared dumbly at his hand clutching the door knob while Seymour's laugh filled his ears.

"Shocked?" He asked Draco who could still only stare at his hand.

"Y-you're setting me f-free?" He managed to spit out. This caused Seymour to laugh even harder.

"You're a riot, you know that?" He regained his composure before elaborating further. "You're not being set free. You've only been given a field trip to stretch your legs. You will find no available exit. The Dark Lord himself made sure of that."

Draco cringed at the mention of Voldemort and the pain in his back side flared up. He tried his best to ignore it as he looked down at the floor. He stepped through the door way and let out a deep breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. _It wasn't a trap!_ He thought happily as he tore down the stairs and ran towards the kitchen.

* * *

><p>"That was her. I know it." Gale said to no one. He recognized the girl from a few days ago immediately. She was the one who was all over his Odan. Gale took a seat on the hard side walk. He was leaning against the light post for a while. How long was that woman going to be in his room with his Odan? He clenched his fists as he pictured the two of them there, laughing and having a blast. He punched the air, dissatisfied when it hit nothing. He tugged at his hair and stood up. He wasn't about to be kicked out of his own room just because Odan wanted a girl.<p>

His face flushed as he turned around to see said girl looking at him sadly.

"Hi," She said shyly as she leaned in to him, the frown still on her face. "I'm Ginny."

He raised his eyebrows in acknowledgment. He turned to walk into the inn when she grabbed his arm. He didn't like that and looked pointedly at the contact. She blushed and removed her arm.

"Sorry, I just didn't want you to leave." Gale turned, giving her his attention and she cleared her throat. "Odan likes you a lot. You're all he talks about." She chuckled as if remembering something, then looked directly at Gale. "He thinks…you don't love him anymore."

Gale was shocked at this. How dare this girl think she can just waltz in and tap dance all over their relationship. She had no business commenting and adding her thoughts. "I don't think it's appropriate for you to add your input."

"I know. I just…I like Odan. And I like you, too. And it breaks my heart to see the two of you struggling with this poor communication."

"So you're a matchmaker, then?" Gale scoffed as he rolled his eyes. This was ridiculous.

"No. I…I don't know what I'm doing. I guess with Harry being gone, I just…" She trailed off as her voice began to break.

"Harry? Harry Potter?" Gale asked. He knew the chances were slim to none, but he had to ask. And he was glad he did when the little redhead nodded her head with sad eyes. "You're in love with Harry Potter?"

With another nod, she said "Yes. Terribly so…ever since I was a little girl."

"Then...you know where he is?" He couldn't hide his excitement. This girl, the girl who was a home-wrecking whore two minutes ago, was his missing link.

She shook her head sadly and Gale felt his heart sink, his 'missing link' was broken. And he was so close... "My brother went traveling with him to defeat you-know-who. No one knows where any of them are."

Damn, that was the same thing the lady at the ministry said. Ginny had gotten his hopes up only to smash them back down and stomp on them. At least he learned she wasn't after his Odan.

He still didn't like her, though.

* * *

><p>He stumped his toes repeatedly on the stairs to the kitchen. He didn't care though; he was just excited to see Billy and whatever that delicious smell was wafting from the kitchen. When Billy looked up to see who had just ran into her kitchen, her eyes were fierce and angry. Then she saw Draco and it turned from anger to pure confusion.<p>

"What are you doin' out of your room?" Then she looked terrified. Honestly and thoroughly terrified. "Did I forget to lock your door? Oh, the masters going to kill me!" She started to pace and chomp on her fingers, causing them to start bleeding. Draco tried to stop her, but she just wouldn't listen. Finally, with no other option, he picked her up and made her look into his eyes.

"I'm allowed to be out. I have permission."

"How? Who gave it to you?" She looked around, hoping they would not be caught. This was a side of Billy Draco had never seen before. But how could she not know he was set free? If Voldemort allowed him to 'stretch his legs' wouldn't the entire staff be on lock down? None of this made any sense. Until…it did make sense. Seymour _had_ given his freedom. This was his chance.

"Billy. I'm leaving. I'm running away. Do you want to come with me? We can leave. Right now," He looked toward the kitchen door, leading to his freedom. "Are you coming?"

Billy looked even more scared than usual as she hugged Draco's leg with sad eyes. "I can't. I'm a house elf bound to this family. I could never leave." Her voice cracked at the end and Draco hugged her back. "But you should go. Run far away from here." She pushed Draco away and shuffled her feet. "I'm gonna miss you, you rotten wizard." She said with a smile.

Draco smiled back as he turned towards the door, and with a deep breath, he turned the knob and pushed.

* * *

><p>Blah blah blah, ramble ramble ramble.<p>

Lemo Smith, Honestly, I'd rather proof-read five times than put something out full of mistakes. I just can't focus long enough to do it haha. As for those mistakes, same thing as usual, I didn't even notice :) though the left eye mistake was kind of funny.  
>Correction; left eye white, right eye green.<br>There we go :)  
>As for the 'definitely' word...I'm SO glad you pointed that out! It's kind of embarrassing, but I spent about five minutes on that word. I just couldn't remember how to spell it!<br>And I'd put in more Harry POV's but, I'm not exactly sure where he is in relation to my story...haha. So if I do more on his side, it wont be what really happened in the book/movie... Would you be okay with that? Or should I go re-read the book and do it the 'right way'?

fiona, Draco has been helped! :)

bubbie, When are you planning on getting Skyrim? It's honestly one of the best Elder Scrolls I've played.  
>I'm going to PM you for the next part of your review :)<br>Don't worry about Gale, he's just going through a rough time. You can't expect him to leave the hands of Voldemort as happily as he entered, can you? But that's why he has Odan. :)


	15. Chapter 15

**A** big** thanks to Lemo Smith for being my beta reader! I really appreciate all your help with the terrifying task of correcting my work. Great job :)**

Summer Again  
>Chapter 15<p>

He didn't stop to take a look at his surroundings as he ran like Hell through the woods. The twigs and branches cut through his unprotected skin, causing him to wince at every step. He wasn't a runner by any means, and pushing himself this hard after months of limited movement was unwise even to him. But he wasn't going to stop until he was sure Voldemort couldn't get him. His breath hitched as his toe was flattened against a rock. The pain was ridiculous at first, but he kept running with a goofy smile. He was free. He was going to find Harry.

It was just after dusk when he stopped to take a break. His legs wobbled and threatened to give way. He leaned against a tree for support and looked at his feet. They were covered in a crimson red, except for his big toe, which actually took a blackish color. He tried to wiggle the toe and a sharp pain shot up from it, causing him to fall to the ground. He wasn't sure how long he lay there for. His whole body ached from his run and he could feel his feet bleeding. _That was stupid_, he thought to himself as he lifted himself from the forest floor. His feet were swollen now, but he had to keep moving. He shakily took one step after another, working his way south.

* * *

><p>"You're acting like a dammed child!" The words erupted through the, thankfully, empty streets. They stung the blonde haired boy to a certain degree, but he covered it up with a scowl. Odan shook his head as he ran his fingers through his hair. He shouldn't have said that. But he had to! Gale had become increasingly childish in the past few months. "I'm sorry," Odan stated quietly. He hated to see Gale this way, but deep down he knew it wasn't his fault. "I just want to know what's wrong."<p>

Gale shook his head with sad eyes. "No, you're right. I'm acting awfully. I just…I can't help it." He dropped his head and hid his face in his hands. Muffled sobs filled Odan's ears and he took the smaller teen tightly in his arms. He didn't want to hurt Gale…he just wanted everything to go back to normal.

"I know what you've been through was tough. But you're safe now. You're with me and everything is okay." Odan tried to use a comforting tone, but he wasn't one to comfort, so it sounded sort of demeaning.

Gale shook his head. "No, everything is not okay. Draco is still in there and we haven't done anything to help!" His sadness was gone, though the tears still remained.

"I know. But there's not much we can do but continue our search for Harry. He'll know what to do."

Gale nodded, unsure if the famous wizard would even bother helping. He had enough on his plate with the Dark Lord, and helping a Slytherin wasn't exactly a priority for any Gryffindor. He shook it off when Odan grabbed his hand and led him down the street.

"Can we go back to the mansion? I think we need to be there." Gale said quietly as they rounded a corner. Odan thought on that for a moment. It was risky to go back, but if Gale wanted it than it would be done. He nodded to Gale who smiled and squeezed his hand tighter.

* * *

><p>Ron turned on his heels and walked along the line he had worked into the carpet. He had been pacing for several hours with his finger to his chin, making him look dignified in some strange way. Harry smiled to himself and turned his gaze to Hermione instead. She had her hair pinned up out of her face as she, as usual, took notes she thought were important from a large tome propped up on the table. He really did have great friends. He wasn't sure what he had done to deserve them, but he loved them more than anything. Of course, he would love it more if Draco was there…but that's beside the point.<p>

"Thank you guys," Harry said, bringing himself out of his depressing thoughts. If he spent too much time on Draco, he'd go insane. "I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here for me."

Hermione looked up him with a genuine smile that lifted Harry's spirits considerably. "We're happy to help, Harry."

"After all," Ron interjected, finally sitting down next to Harry. "I don't think you'd be able to get anywhere without us."

He smiled once more, silently thanking his friends for their continuous support. But he found himself excusing himself from the tent a moment later. He thought it would get easier with every day that passed without Draco. But it seemed to only get worse. It was as though what started out a microscopic black dot had grown into a large dark pit that was slowly consuming him from inside out. He dropped himself to the floor and gazed up through a gap between the trees. He readjusted himself until he could see the star. The star he had stared at for hours before he finally realized he was developing feelings for his little blonde enemy.

"I wish I knew you were okay." He said quietly to the star. He continued to stare and nearly jumped out of his pants when he saw it flash. The star had sparkled so brightly, he was almost certain he'd imagined it. But a part of him wouldn't let him think that. He felt that, deep inside, it was Draco's way of saying he was okay. He stood up with a goofy grin that wouldn't leave anytime soon.

* * *

><p>He stopped walking and listened intently. The sounds of a creek filled his ears, along with the smell of mud in his nose. He smiled faintly as he followed his senses which eventually brought him to river of water. He kneeled down and cupped his hands as he brought the clear water to his mouth. It seemed to refresh him to the very core. When his thirst was quenched and his hunger wasn't as persistent, he stuck his feet in. He gently scrubbed away the dried blood and plucked out a few twigs. He sighed angrily as that only re-opened some wounds and the water turned scarlet red. He leaned back on his hands as he stared up at the sky. It had been so long since he'd done so, and almost forgot which star Harry had pointed out to him that day. Suddenly, he saw a star flash out of the corner of his eye and he found the culprit.<p>

"That's it." He smiled happily when he looked at the star and the color of Harry's eyes filled his vision. He could even see that famous goofy smile of his. He closed his eyes for a moment and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>"Why did we walk so far away in the first place?" Gale whined as he dropped Odan's hand to readjust the tote over his shoulder. He was so weak compared to Odan, who was carrying four more totes than himself. Why were they carrying so much stuff anyway? He voiced this question to Odan who laughed.<p>

"Well, it's not just our things. We have to carry Dracos things as well." Gale thought on that for a moment before smiling evilly and dropping to the floor. "What are you doing?" Odan asked as he stopped to watch the younger teen with curious eyes.

"I just want to see what was so important for him to carry." He pulled out a pair of pajamas and a wand first. Then he fished around some more and found a few books that were really boring to just look at, let alone try to read. He rolled his eyes and stuck his hand in again. He felt a small piece of paper and curiously pulled it out. "Is this…?" He trailed off and held it up for Odan to see.

"Harry Potter? Yeah. Draco always carried that thing around."

Gale looked back at the picture and wondered why he would carry around a clipping from a newspaper. Perhaps this was why Odan had suggested on going to find Harry. Although he had already accompanied Odan on his 'Harry Hunting' as he called it, he was never told why the hunt was needed. Come to think of it…that was when things started to go wrong for him and Odan. He couldn't remember doing anything to upset Odan. Gale had even insisted on going into the Ministry alone to find any records on his whereabouts. Suddenly it occurred to him; on his way back from the Ministry, Odan was looking for him. Odan had cared about him all along. Why did he even question that in the first place? He is Odan's. He has always been Odan's. No girl was going to change that.

He realized he had wasted enough time sitting there and stood. He discreetly shoved the picture into his back pocket and bent down to refill Dracos tote with his possessions, disappointed he didn't find something better. He threw it over his shoulder and rejoined Odan on their walk to the mansion.

He didn't notice the lousy job he had done with shoving the picture in his pocket, nor did he notice the rough gust of wind that blew through the air, carrying it away.

* * *

><p>"Think we should set up camp here?" Ron asked lazily as he dropped his sleeping bag. "I'm tired of walking." He dropped to the rocky floor and ran a hand through his long hair. He played with the ends of it while Hermione surveyed the area and drew enchantments around their campsite to keep wanderers away. He glanced over at Harry who seemed to have perked up quite a bit since yesterday. He smiled as Harry repeatedly dropped his wand while trying to help Hermione with said enchantments. "You're losing it, Harry." He didn't even bother to hide the amusement from his voice.<p>

Harry glanced over at him, every bit amused as he was. "I think I've developed a case of butter fingers."

Ron smiled back and decided to make himself useful by setting up the tent and possibly starting a fire. He reached into Hermione's never ending bag, shoulder deep. It was a tiresome task looking for anything in there by hand, so he mumbled a spell and the tent flew into his hand. With another few spells the tent was up and a fire was roaring. One triumphant sigh later, he collapsed onto his bed and closed his eyes...

Not ten minutes later, the bushy haired Hermione woke him up.

"Honestly, Ronald. You could at least _try_ to help out."

"What are you talking about?" He asked angrily as he sat up and skimmed the tent for Harry. "I set up tent and made fire."

"Oh you poor thing," She said sarcastically. "You _must_ be tired! Never you mind, go back to bed."

He rolled his eyes and slipped on a pair of shoes. Sometimes it was like he was married to that woman. He left the tent and continued his search for Harry. He never dared leaving the wall of enchantments in case they decided to up and move without him. He was lucky enough to find his way back last time, and wasn't keen on the idea of having to do it again.

"Harry?" He called before he was tackled to the ground by…nothing. He frantically looked around for his attacker but saw nothing. He let out a small whimper as his attacker started tugging on his hair. Then he heard a giggle and tried to regain some of his lost dignity. "Harry." He said angrily as he brushed himself off. Harry tossed off his invisibility cloak with a wide smile spread across his face.

"Bit scared, were you?"

"Not likely." It was refreshing to see Harry so playful and cheery. But he couldn't help but wonder why that was. When he voiced his thoughts to the green eyed teen, he was asked to lie own on the ground on look up at the sky. Harry, never pointing out which star he was talking about, proceeded to tell him about his recent contact with Draco. Ron tried desperately not to roll his eyes as he found it hard to believe that Draco caused the star to flash. Stars flash all the time, and Harry was missing Draco a lot lately. It very easily could have been his imagination playing tricks on him.

"I just know it was him." Harry said again with a content sigh. Ron wanted to argue that point, but couldn't find it in his heart to do so. He loved seeing Harry so happy and didn't want to be the cause of his sadness. So instead, he simply nodded and tried to focus on relishing the comfort he had whenever he was around Harry, and the warmth he could feel radiating from him.

* * *

><p>He set out that morning with a heavy heart. His feet had finally stopped throbbing and he felt he could walk on them once again, though he was very reluctant. He tore off his shirt and wrapped pieces around his feet for some protection for wounds that have yet to close. After an internal debate on which way to travel, he set off south again. He supposed he should come up to some kind of town or other eventually, though he was slightly nervous that Voldemort had sent out spies, which would surely cause him to end up back in that awful dungeon.<p>

His stomach churned and a loud growl emanated from him. He humored himself in thinking it would ward off any beast in a 3 mile radius, if only to keep his mind from the pain. He found that he missed Billy terribly, with her delicious cooking. Her company was very much desired, too, right about now.

Draco needed to get his mind off of such things and started to count again. He counted each step he took for at least 3 miles. He made it up to 6,734 before he sat down for a break. A large gust of wind blew by him and he closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of wind through his hair. A leaf had caught onto his leg, which blocked the path the wind had laid out for it. He didn't want to move out of its way, though. He didn't want to move ever again. So the sad leaf was forced to be pressed against Draco's leg for a little while longer.

* * *

><p>Odan sat outside the Malfoy Manor for hours before the door finally opened up, revealing a rather plump house elf. Odan shot a questioning look at Gale, who shrugged his shoulders, having noticed the strange abnormity as well. Odan refocused on the elf as it moved closer to his hiding spot by the shed. Their plan was to question someone who left the house and she seemed like an easy enough target. Plus, she was the first participant in hours, so Odan didn't want to miss this opportunity. But she was a house elf. If she were to be questioned, she would spill all of their secrets. (That is, if she didn't go to her master on her own…)<p>

Shrugging it off, he waited for her to approach. He felt confident that this would go over well, seeing as Gale was in a tree right above him, scouting for anyone else who might stumble upon their hiding place. The elf was within arm's reach now, and it was time to make his move. With one last nod towards Gale, he pushed the elf into the shed and closed the door behind him.

The wind seemed never ending. In fact, Draco had grown quite tired of sitting there in the middle of it. He opened his eyes and stood up. He stretched, cracking his back into place in the process. His eyes darted down to the annoying little leaf flickering under his foot. Only then he realized that it was not a leaf at all. It was a rectangular clipping of… He quickly removed his foot and went to grab the picture, but the wind carried it off.

And so, he began a desperate attempt at chasing the little bugger through the woods.

* * *

><p>Thanks again Lemo Smith! :D<p>

I feel like this chapter was really short, but it's right around my usual word count...strange.

morgan., Thanks, I'm glad you like it!

Becca, Anytime. ;)

Devil Subaru Chan, That's quite alright. Though I will admit I've missed your comments :)  
>As for Draco, I agree. But it had to be done. And I fear it's not quite over yet...<p>

bubbie, They are amazing, indeed. And thanks. I think I can speak for the both of us when I say we had fun, too. Thanks for coming all that way just to meet me. :) I'd love to do it again sometime.

Kunai Youki, Well I think that's the most exciting review I've ever gotten! Haha. And as for that whole 'Occlumency' issue: when I was writing it, the idea crossed my mind. But then I decided that Voldemort, being the sick monster that he is, would have more fun if he _thought_ Draco was lying. Just so he could have his fun with the poor kid. Does that even make sense? If not, I'm sorry.  
>(btw, I had square pizza yesterday...)<p>

Lemo Smith, Oh so many mistakes -.- Luckily, now you're my beta reader! (I wonder how many more times I can throw that into this chapter...)  
>Thanks for your advice, too. I love getting ideas, so any time you have one, please share.<p>

IN OTHER NEWS, I forgot to add a review reply so I figured I could just replace the document. Somehow I managed to delete the first chapter of my story.

...

*sigh*

I need some help.

Thanks for reading


	16. Chapter 16

Summer Again  
>Chapter 16<p>

Surprisingly, the plump elf didn't so much as wince at being shoved into the dark shed by an unknown attacker. She didn't use her magic, either. It was almost as if she was expecting this ambush to happen. Odan silently regarded her for a moment before he decided to speak.

"You work in that house?" He asked as menacingly as he could. Usually, he had a rather threatening personality, or so he had been told. But now it seemed that his scary demeanor had disappeared into thin air, leaving nothing behind but a thin cloud of smoke with no purpose other than to laugh in his face.

"I do," The house elf replied. She hadn't moved at all, and her breathing could scarcely be heard. If anything, Odan was more scared of her than she was of him. She could even disappear right now and tell her master that intruders were in the shed before he could even realize what happened. Yet here she was; allowing herself to be not quite interrogated by an underage wizard with, she assumed, no back up. "And I could very easily have you locked up in that house's dungeon." She stated coldly, mocking Odan's term for the Manor. Indeed, it was no house.

"That's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about." Odan said as he cleared his throat. He realized a more civilized approach may work better than his poorly formulated aggressive one. "I...uh…I was hoping you could tell me who exactly occupied that dungeon…"

"You want to know what prisoners my master is keeping?" The elf clarified. Her tone of voice sent shivers down Odan's spine and he knew this was a stupid mistake. Perhaps there was still time to make a run for it…

"Alright," Came her unexpected answer. "I'll tell you…if you tell me who it is your thinkin' is in there."

Odan thought on that for a moment. Why did this elf want to know who he thought was in there? Could this be some kind of trap? He shook off all of these questions because, no matter how threatening she seemed, her eyes seemed hopeful and trustworthy. "Draco Malfoy, the master's son."

The elf finally moved. She took in a sharp breath and covered her hands over her mouth. "Oh thank Merlin!" She said through her hands. Tears filled her eyes as she looked up at Odan. "He does have friends looking for him!"

Odan was taken aback by her sudden change in demeanour. She seemed very fond of Draco indeed, but what did she mean by 'friends looking for him?' He crouched down to look into her eyes before asking, "Is he in there?"

* * *

><p>"You've needed one for months!" He heard Hermione shout from inside the tent. Harry leaned his ear closer to decipher what Ron was saying.<p>

"I don't want one, alright? Drop it."

"You look like a rag doll. Please, let me cut it!"

Harry smiled to himself as he entered the tent to find Ron with a pillow pressed over his head, trying to keep Hermione from getting his hair with her scissors.

"Harry!" Ron called desperately. His expression made it clear that he was extremely relieved to see a savior. "Help!"

Hermione turned to Harry with a hopelessly exaggerated sigh. "Ron," Harry mused as he slowly approached his red-haired friend. This situation was far too amusing to be dealt with quickly. "Why don't you want Hermione to cut your hair?"

Ron removed the pillow with a look of disbelief on his face. "'Why'? What do you mean 'Why'? Look at what she did to you!" Harry instinctively ran his fingers through his hair. It was much shorter than he preferred, and it was rather choppy. Harry's lack of response made Hermione sigh again, but this time in defeat. "Sorry Hermione," Ron called from his triumphant posture on the bed. "But really, I'd rather look like a rag doll. Harry looks like he stuck his head in a wood chipper."

"Why don't I cut it then?" Harry offered. He had a little bit more experience than Hermione, seeing as he used to cut his own hair all the time at the Dursley's.

"Yeah, okay." Ron agreed without any persuading. In fact, he practically skipped to the chair and willingly gave Harry full access to his mop of hair. Harry glanced over at Hermione, who didn't appear to be offended. Instead, she looked quite pleased that Ron was actually getting his hair cut. So, Harry walked over to Ron and started cutting.

* * *

><p>Draco gritted his teeth in frustration. He felt ridiculous chasing after a simple newspaper clipping, but he needed it. He needed to look at Harry again but he was just out of reach! <em>As usual,<em> he thought angrily to himself. He dove for the picture and missed. He lifted his heavy head just in time to see it virtually disappear. He stood up and examined the specupot with caution.

"What the bloody Hell…" Draco exlcaimed aloud. He picked up a stick and tossed it at the same spot the clipping had just traveled. It disappeared as well. He took a shaky step forward to investigate further. _How peculiar.._ He picked up a rock and prepared himself to toss it.

* * *

><p>"No,"<p>

"No?"

The house elf shook her head. Now Odan was confused. She acted like she knew Draco, and now she was telling him he wasn't even here. He sat on the floor and rubbed his brow. He knew Draco was there. He saw him get thrown into the dungeon! Well…he didn't exactly witness it…but he knew that was where he ended up. He never should have left without him; he realized that now. He also realized it was too late to worry about it so he shook it off.

"Well," He said as he stood up with a defeated sigh. "I'm sorry for ambushing you like I did. Thank you for hearing me out. I think we should both be going now."

"No, wait!" The elf called hastily. "I know where he went!" Odan turned on his heels and raised his eyebrows. She folded her hands up and twirled her fingers as she lowered her voice to a whisper. "He escaped. He ran south."

"He…escaped? How?" He was thrilled at the news. He could barely contain himself as the elf told him everything she knew. "I can't believe it…do you know who opened the door?"

"No," She shook her head sadly. "He just appeared in my kitchen, the little dirt ball. He asked if I wanted to come with him…but seeing as I'm a house elf…" She trailed off as a tear finally made its way down her cheek. "Please, send him my greetings. But more importantly, tell him my master is angry. Master says he will tear down every town until he finds him!" She buried her face in her hands as if she were trying to block out the outside world. It was very clear to Odan now that this elf truly cared for Draco. He accepted her request and hugged her briefly.

He was just about to leave when another thought occurred to him. "What's your name?"

"Call me Billy." She said with a sparkle in her eye.

* * *

><p>"Did you hear that?" Ron asked from under Harry's scissors, turning his head toward the tent flap.<p>

"No, I didn't." He replied shortly. "And unless you want to be earless, I'd suggest you stop moving your head."

A blush formed on Ron's face as he slowly returned to the position that was easiest for Harry. It wasn't easy for him to feel Harry's warm hands on his neck, especially as he imagined them roaming around on other certain parts of his body…

He coughed to take his mind off of that train of thought and held up the mirror. Harry was doing exceptionally well. His red hair had been cut to look side-swiped and he could actually see his neck. He looked at Harry's left hand that rested gently on the base of his neck. He could feel the warmth radiating from it and he wished he could envelop himself in the feeling.

Once he realized what he was thinking, he quickly placed the mirror down and coughed once more. What was he _doing_? He was supposed to be with Hermione. He looked over at her and squinted his eyes. She was beautiful, that much was certain. She was also caring and thoughtful. In fact, she was practically the perfect girlfriend to have.

But she lacked something. Though her eyes were very pleasing to look at, they didn't hold the same sparkle that resided in Harry's. And although her smile made him feel warm inside, it couldn't turn his stomach like Harry's can. He sighed and Harry finally took notice of him.

"A Sickle for your thoughts, Ron?"

Ron sighed once more and refrained from shaking his head. "Nothing important."

"Come off it," Harry said with a chuckle. "Have I done that bad a job?"

"No, No." Ron said as he furrowed his brows. "You're doing great."

"Oh okay, so what is it?" Harry had stopped cutting and placed the scissors on an end table. He crouched down in front of Ron and placed a hand on his knee. He looked concerned as he, too, ran his eyebrows together. This, of course, only made Ron blush.

"N-No, it's nothing. Honestly, I'm fine…just lost in thought." Harry frowned at that, but he nodded his head anyway. He resumed cutting and Ron let out a long and silent sigh. The spot on his knee still tingled and he knew that if Harry touched him one more time, he'd lose it.

Just then, another noise came from outside. This time Harry heard it, too, for he had stopped cutting and Hermione was on her feet.

"You hear it now?" Ron asked smugly. They were all staring at the tent, too shocked to do anything.

"Should we investigate?" Hermione asked, finally peeling her eyes off the tent flap and locking her gaze onto Harry, who shrugged his shoulders.

"It was probably just a rabbit or something." He snipped off a few stray strands of hair around Ron's ear.

"Are rabbits even in these parts?" Ron asked, directing his question to Hermione. "Where are we anyway?"

"Just outside of a park in Wimbledon."

"Wimbledon?" Harry repeated, his head snapped up and he directed his gaze at Hermione. "Why are we in Wimbledon?"

Her eyes grew wide at Harry's shouting. "I-…I…"

"What's the problem Harry?" Ron asked.

Harry threw the scissors on the table and grabbed his jacket. "Draco lives in Wimbledon."

Hermione gasped. "Then we need to leave! We're much too close to You-Know-Who!"

"We're not leaving. We're going to get him." Just then, another sound, heavier this time, came from the outside. Harry and Hermione looked towards the sound, but Ron sadly kept his gaze on Harry.

* * *

><p>"He WHAT!" Gale half-yelled. How could Draco have escaped? That dungeon was downright impenetrable.<p>

"He escaped and ran south! We need to hurry." Odan replied as he threw down the totes before he came down himself. Then he turned around and held his arms out for Gale, who shot him a look, but accepted the help anyway.

It was getting dark very fast, and Odan suggested spending the night, but Gale refused. He was too excited to see his friend again. Plus, he could finally talk to someone who went through the same torture that he had. He felt bad for being grateful of that, but it already happened. There was no point in wishing it didn't. Odan never understood, either. He tried to comfort Gale by holding him tight and saying 'everything is okay'.

But it wasn't okay. And he certainly didn't want to be touched so much. Gale sighed as he looked at Odan. He loved the way Odan held him…but sometimes he just needed to be left alone. Though when he didleave me alone, I got all jealous. He sighed again; he just didn't know what he wanted. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temple with his free hand.

"Hey Gale?"

"Hm?"

"Can I have a kiss?"

Gale's eyes popped open and he could feel his cheeks burning. He looked up at Odan who was staring ahead with a face of stone, though his cheeks were a little red also. Gale stopped walking and when Odan noticed, he stopped too and looked back.

"Sorry…" Odan started when he saw the look of pure shock on Gale's face. "I just wanted to…I don't know what I wanted."

At those words, Gale's breath hitched. When he caught Odan's eye he slowly nodded his head. They met each other half way and caught themselves in an embrace. Gale stood up on his toes and Odan bent down to meet the younger teen's lips.

When they parted, Gales fingers instinctively touched his lips. They were tingly all over, and his stomach was flopping around like a fish out of water. He looked up at Odan, who was smiling contently with his red lips.

"Wh-what…was that for?" Gale questioned when his breathing evened out.

"What do you mean? I've been wanting to do that for a while…" Gale whispered and threw his arms around the taller of the two.

"Thank you. That was just what I needed."

Odan smiled and kissed the top of the dirty-blonde hair he loved so much.

"Me too."

* * *

><p>"It just…disappeared." Draco thought aloud. His mind was absolutely boggled. How was this happening? Obviously it was a spell, but he never heard of one like this. And what was on the other side?<em> Could I even go through? Or would I burn up…?<em> Questions raced his mind as he looked for something else to send through. Was it a portal? Or was it an invisibility enchantment?

He found a big rock. Just for fun, he wanted to send it through. He attempted to lift it up, but his back cracked in protest. He let out a grunt and lifted again. He used every ounce of strength he had left to toss it through. He fell to the ground but smiled triumphantly as he heard it crash on the floor on the other side.

He stood up shakily and took a few steps forward. With one more deep breath, he kicked through the barrier.

* * *

><p>Whoa, what's going to happen!<p>

Lemo Smith, Thank you! (Hah) I'm so happy you're throwing in your thoughts. I didn't even think about the Sickle thing. That was awesome. :)  
>And I know what you mean about my switching POVs like a mad-man, but I can't help it. Sometimes I get distracted and can't think of anything else to write, so I move onto someone else. Haha.<br>As for the 'Chapter Deleting Crisis Thing' (Yes, I named it.) I don't even remember what I did or what I was thinking because I was half asleep when it happened. It's quite funny now that I look back on it, actually. But it's resolved! :D  
>And I will constantly send you my story! Until you tell me to stop or it ends! :)<br>[You don't mind, do you? I just enjoy your work so much c: ]

Devil Subaru Chan, Ehhh I think he'll be fine. ;) He's a tough cookie.

tflover98, You're too kind. I'm really happy you like the story and thank you for reviewing :)

Bubbie, Have no fear. I enjoy it too. ;) As for the Gale/Odan romance. I'll get right on that. I can't promise it'll be too 'mushy' but I will try, and dedicate it to you. Haha.  
>And I'm going to say their relationship is mutually known, but they haven't said or done anything about it yet. I hope that answers your question...<br>Also, I WILL drag this story out if you want me to. Haha...  
>...I really will. ._.<p>

**Okey dokey. Another thanks to my Beta Reader, Lemo Smith! **  
><strong>And to those of you who reviewed. It really means alot to me :D<strong>

Thanks for reading!


	17. Chapter 17

Summer Again  
>Chapter 17<p>

The air seemed to change as he stepped through the invisible wall. The wind was no longer blowing and he could sense people with him. He opened the eyes that he didn't realize he'd closed and looked around. Sure enough, there was a tent with lights illuminating the inside.

It was quite a small tent, but there was definitely more than one person in there. He looked down on the ground and saw his stick and three stones. He smiled to himself as he wondered why he suddenly had such itchy fingers.

He looked around for the little clipping and found it trapped under a smaller rock, which he threw back outside the tent. From the inside of the barrier, he could see it on the other side. He picked up the paper and smiled back at the boy who smiled fondly at him.

"Stop running from me." He whispered as quietly as he could to the boy looking back at him innocently. He placed a quick kiss on the paper and stored it in the breast pocket of his jacket. He glanced back at the tent to make sure he hadn't disturbed the campers and stuck his leg back through the veil of enchantments.

"Alright, Harry. Let's get going."

* * *

><p>This was no state to travel in. His head was everywhere and somewhere else every other second. His stomach felt like it had turned inside out and was being tickled by little stomach fairies. He kept sneaking glances at Odan, drinking in all of his features. Gale had always know that Odan was a very handsome man but, for some reason, since the kiss he'd become this whole other being.<p>

He was beautiful.

Gale often found himself referring to him as "God-like' because of how perfect he was. He had been fighting this urge for about three minutes (which, in his current state, felt like an eternity) before he finally reached out and grasped Odan's hand in his own. Odan instinctively twitched at the sudden contact, but relaxed into it almost immediately after. He even placed a kiss on Gale's fingers, which did not help the current issue Gale was faced with.

"You alright?" Odan asked worriedly as he gazed down at Gale, who had flushed rather brightly.

"F-fine." Gale stuttered, with a shy smile. He was acting like a school-girl and he knew it, but he couldn't help himself. Suddenly, he thought of Ginny again and grimaced. Did Odan ever kiss her fingers? He felt himself growing angry and the innocently happy feeling in his stomach took a painful turn. He discreetly grasped at the source of his pain with his free hand, trying to soothe it without Odan's notice.

"Uh…actually I think I need to sit down for a minute…"

Odan gave him a concerned look, but nodded his acceptance. He led Gale over to a fallen log, just big enough for one, and placed him on it. "Do you want some water?" He offered as he pulled out an empty bottle and his wand. Gale nodded and accepted the water that appeared from the tip of Odan's wand. It was the best water he had ever tasted and it was gone almost as immediately as it touched his lips. "Wow," Odan commented, amused. "Do you want some more?"

"No, thank you." Gale said as he clutched his stomach. The pain he (reluctantly) described as jealousy subsided and the stomach fairies were back. Odan sat down on the ground beside Gale and heaved a heavy sigh. "Do you want to sit up here instead?" Gale offered as he made to stand. Odan grabbed his knee and pushed him back down.

"No, you sit. I'm fine." He flashed Gale his most charming smile and Gale thought he looked very prince-like, which made a very noticeable blush appear on his face.

"Come sit in front of me, then." He commanded as he spread his legs apart. Odan regarded him with a raised eyebrow but did as he was asked. Gale took Odan's head and rested it against his abdomen, and then he started to stroke the beautiful mass of blonde hair. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all." Odan's voice was dreamy and sounded very content, which made Gale smile. He started running his fingers more intimately, causing Odan to sigh his gratitude. "That feels good…" He commented quietly. Gale used a finger to run in down the length of Odan's pronounced Adam's Apple. His eyelids fell over his eyes as he clearly enjoyed the sensation.

Gale took this opportunity to study his love's face. His nose was rather large, but somehow it only made him more beautiful. His lips were a delicious shade of pink and slightly moist. It took everything Gale had not to lean over and kiss them again. He wanted to feel those lips move against his so badly it hurt.

His finger ran over his milky white skin tone and circled around a freckle above his left eyebrow. That one was his favorite. Then he trailed his finger down to the freckle just in front of his ear. That one was usually covered by his hair and Gale wondered how many people actually knew it existed. He couldn't take it any longer and finally gave in to his need.

He slid his hands down Odan's chest, bent down and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. Odan's eyes fluttered open and smiled.

"We should get going." Gale said as his face became so red he couldn't sit still.

* * *

><p>"I know I heard a voice." Hermione whispered frantically. She was kneeling by Ron, clutching his hand and resting her head on his forearm. Ron was stroking her head, but he was more focused on Harry.<p>

"I'm going to take a look." Harry announced as he ran over to grab his wand.

"Wait!" Ron called. Harry stopped in his tracks and looked back at Ron curiously. "It could be dangerous…maybe we should just leave." He regretted those words the moment they passed through his lips. Sure, his statement could be true, but he knew it wasn't. He had a very good inclination that the intruder was Draco Malfoy; the object of Harry's love and affection. And that bothered him greatly; more than he would ever care to admit.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't help that pang of bitterness when he thought about Harry falling for Draco. Harry fell for the one person who caused him so much pain and suffering through his years at Hogwarts, while Ron was always there. Supporting Harry and doing as much as he could to help.

"It's alright Ron, Hermione put up the enchantments. I'll just go see who it is, then we can go okay?"

Then he was gone.

* * *

><p>"Then that pretty much leaves Lucius and Seymour." Gale announced as he withdrew three other fingers.<p>

They were on the topic of Draco's escape, assuming they had the same interactions with the same people. Gale's list currently included Voldemort, Lucius, Seymour, Bellatrix, Silas, and a few house elves. They immediately ruled out the house elves, no matter how much Billy liked Draco, because it was against their nature to go against their master. Then they ruled out Voldemort because he was the one who wanted Draco there in the first place.

Next up was Bellatrix, because she was evil to the very core and most likely wanted Draco there for her play thing. Silas was a Death Eater who often dropped in on Gale because he developed a 'liking' to the young teenager, but never showed any sign of compassion or sympathy. If anything, he wanted more young boys there.

"Who was Seymour again?" Odan asked; trying desperately to keep tabs on all the names and personality descriptions Gale gave.

"A torturer." Gale replied. "I can't give you a description for him, though. I never met him. He really only came for the old wand maker and the goblin." Odan remembered those two. They apparated out of the dungeon with a house elf, while he and Gale agreed to make their own way out.

"So, Lucius, huh?" Odan asked. It was very a very possible assumption. Any father would go mad to know their son was locked up in their own dungeon. Yes, that was probably it. "You said Silas came for you a lot. What does that mean?"

Gale blushed and squeezed Odan's hand tighter. "Don't worry about it. It's over with."

Odan didn't miss the strange tone in Gale's voice and wondered what that was. But he decided not to press the subject any further.

The leaves were just beginning to fall and the breeze was not unwelcome to the two travelers. They walked in silence for a little while longer, each of them afraid to ruin the perfect scenery around them.

* * *

><p><em>Go back<em>. A voice instructed. _Go back inside_. Draco shook his head. Those words have been circling his mind ever since he left the invisible campground. Not only that, but he also couldn't help but wonder why a campsite needed to be invisible in the first place. It's good shelter, he reasoned. And I could benefit from it, seeing as I'm still in Wimbledon. He instinctively reached over and touched his left forearm. _I wonder if he would sense me in there…_

It was worth a try, Draco decided. He walked back to the small clearing and took a deep breath. It didn't really matter if the residents kicked him out. He only hoped that they weren't hostile and eager for blood. _They must be_, he thought. _Why else would they need this protection?_

But Draco was in no place to make judgments, so he walked into the barrier for a second time.

"Wait!" Someone called from inside the tent, causing Draco to nearly jump out of his skin. He scurried over to a tree and ducked behind it. A few seconds later he heard footsteps emerge from the tent. Draco sucked in a deep breath and shut his eyes. I shouldn't have come here. He thought over and over again as the camper made his way to where Draco was hiding.

There was a very familiar smell and a loud sigh from right on the other side of the tree.

* * *

><p>Harry tried the best he could to give Ron the most encouraging smile he had. He knew it was no good when he saw the look on Hermione's face, so he turned and left the tent anyway. He looked around and saw nothing. The disappointment that flooded through him felt like a sinking weight in his chest, pulling him down and down.<p>

It was stupid to get his hopes up, but he couldn't help it; it was too easy. First he sees their star flash, then he finds out that they're in Wimbledon, the same town Draco lives in, and then they hear a voice outside. He sighed loudly and leaned against a tree.

"This is stupid," He mumbled as he found a leaf and started tearing it apart. The ground was starting to get colder, and Harry was filled with memories of sitting with Draco in the cold. He was so tired of feeling this way! He was so tired of needing Draco, but he was more tired of not having him. It was straining his energy and he felt like his emotions had left him into one large pile of mush. That was when he decided to let his tears roam freely down his face, staining every inch of it.

He sobbed openly now, and prayed that Ron and Hermione couldn't hear him. He just needed to get it out.

* * *

><p>Draco was conflicted. He heard the man crying just behind the very tree he was leaning on. Should he reveal himself and offer comfort? Or should he remain silent, wait it out, and make a break for it as soon as he can? His mind was made up, however, when he heard the uncontrolled sobs emitting from the stranger. He took a few deep breaths before he walked out from behind the tree and approached him.<p>

What he saw he could have never prepared for. He felt as though his heart was soaring and sinking at the same time. Goose bumps rose all over his skin as those bright green eyes looked up at him through his tears and glasses.

"Dr-….Draco?" He asked as he wiped away the tears that were threatening to deceive his vision. Draco simply let out a hiss of breath as he smiled. There was a sickly awkward moment of temptation to kiss those soft lips covered in tears. But he refrained and opted for sitting beside those lips, instead. Harry pulled him closer and he morphed instantly to the mold of his body. It was, in every sense of the word, perfect.

Almond. Draco sighed inwardly. Of course it was almond. Harry felt Draco sigh and he pulled him closer. His hand slipped into Draco's jacket for warmth, but found something else. He silently pulled out his own picture and chuckled.

"Did you miss me?" He asked into Draco's silver hair.

"Idiot." Draco replied smoothly just before he reached up and pressed his face against Harry's, begging for attention. Harry obliged and pure bliss enveloped them. It was actually kind of embarrassing, the way Draco desperately snogged Harry's face. He suddenly pulled away and blushed furiously. "I'm sorry."

Harry shook his head and leaned back in for another kiss.

* * *

><p>"It's taking him too long." Ron commented from the chair. He knew he worried easily, but whatever happened to 'I'll be right back?' He sighed and repositioned so he could look at Hermione, who was combing her hair out before bed. "How can you be so calm?"<p>

"Ronald, you know he's fine. He probably just needs a minute alone."

Ron agreed to that and ran his hand through his freshly clipped hair. It felt a lot better now that he didn't have to put it up in a ponytail. That seemed to give him an unexplainable amount of comfort.

"Yeah," He finally replied. "He can take care of himself."

* * *

><p>Being with Harry didn't feel like he thought it would. He never really got a chance to think about how he would act when he saw him, but if he had time to imagine, he never would have thought of this. It was like just feeling his warmth was enough to relax every nerve in his body. The warmth of breath he felt on his neck was just an added bonus. The kissing, though appreciated, wasn't necessary and the hand-holding was more than welcomed.<p>

"Hey Draco," Harry mumbled into Draco's ear a few minutes later. The smell of almond filled his nose and his skin felt like it was on fire for just hearing Harry say his name. "Draco." Harry said again when Draco didn't reply.

"Hm?" Draco was playing with a string on Harry's jacket and it entertained him immensely. He knew Harry wanted him to look at him, but how could he? He knew what was coming…

"Draco. I…I still haven't found…what it is I need to find." He chose his words very carefully and this made Draco shudder.

"I understand." Draco said as a tear rolled down his cheek. "But…can't I stay with you?"

"Yes," Harry said with a tight squeeze. "Of course you can! I just wanted to make sure that's what you wanted before I said anything else."

Draco stared at Harry for a moment before answering. "I don't ever want to be without you again."

* * *

><p>Sorry for the super boring chapter. :  
>Next chapter is going to be a little...better. I hope.<br>I actually already have it written, so after I upload this I'll send it to my awesome beta reader, Lemo Smith. (Who is currently being over worked) :) (I apologize)  
>AND its a bit longer than usual.<p>

Pazithia Gallifreya, I do like stirring, indeed. :) I'm happy you like it. Though I know this chapter isn't very good. :/

Lemo Smith, I hope you don't feel embarrassed. Theres nothing wrong with being repeatedly thanked. :)  
>I might actually have to take you up on that suggestion...theres always room to add termoil. :)<br>I actually meant your beta work, but I have read one of your stories, and I must say, I'm impressed. I was actually going to leave a review, but I didn't feel like doing it on my phone. So I'll get to it eventually, if you don't mind. And I can't wait to read another one of your stories, but school is so crazy this time of year. End of the semester and what not -.-  
>I barely have enough time to write, hence this dreadful chapter.<p>

beautifuldeath101, Thank you so much. :) I'll keep you in mind if I ever decide to write another story.

Devil Subaru Chan, Yes, I'm afraid to say it's true. Or am I? I dunno. It's gonna suck for that little red head, though. Having to see Harry and Draco snogging all the time... :/ what a shame.

Thanks for reading!


	18. Chapter 18

Summer Again  
>Chapter 18<p>

He clutched his chest in an attempt to relieve the pain, but it was not subsiding. It was growing stronger as the image replayed in his head over and over again. He ran back inside the tent and fell back on his bed. Hermione was by his side within a moment, clutching his hand and asking what happened. Ron didn't answer; he just needed some time. He knew Draco and Harry would meet up again eventually, but that didn't make it easier to witness their reunion.

"Ron? Are you okay?" Hermione asked again. "I'm going to go get Harry!" She announced. Ron grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him. He shook his head and made room for her on his bed. She climbed up and curled into his side.

"Draco's out there." He said quietly into her bushy hair. "Leave them be."

She nodded and nuzzled closer into him. He often appreciated the subtle comfort she gave, but it could never compare to Harry. Ron sighed and stared despondently into space. Draco was a lucky man, indeed.

* * *

><p>He had no idea how long they had sat there. All he could focus on at the moment was the warmth and that unmistakable scent of Harry. It was truly torture to be away from Harry for so long, but being so physically close and yet so emotionally far was a new kind of pain. He and Harry had been through so much recently, and although there was a comfort in being held in his arms, there was a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was telling him that he shouldn't be here.<p>

It wasn't time for them to be together. Not yet.

"We have a lot to talk about." Harry commented sadly as he pulled Draco closer to him. He didn't want to respond; he knew what was coming. Harry was going to tell him he needed to go.

He slowly nodded his head and pulled away. He didn't have anywhere else to go…but he wasn't going to let Harry know that. He was going to bravely walk away without a backwards glance. He had no other choice. Harry was the Chosen One, and Draco shouldn't be getting in his way.

"Where are you going?" Harry asked, a bit tentative and a bit anxious.

"I met a few Hogwarts students a while back. I'll go see if I can track them down." Draco said, desperately trying to keep his voice from shaking. His body already felt cold from leaving Harry's side.

"Why?" Harry asked, standing as well. He grabbed Draco's hand and pulled him close. He lowered his head and started kissing the top of his silver hair. "We're together now."

"I…I know." Draco was having a very difficult time trying to keep his emotions in check. It was very tempting to just turn into a big pile of mush and mold himself into every contour of Harry's body. "But you have…a task. And I would just be in the way." He managed to spit out. His heart was beating wildly in his chest as Harry's hand slid up and down his back.

"You'd be more in the way if you weren't here."

"Harry…that doesn't even make sense." Draco felt Harry's chest rumble from his laughter.

Oh God, Draco whined in his head. He's so…aggravating. He closed his eyes and let Harry's body move his in rhythm.

"Why don't you come inside? Are you hungry?" Harry offered when his chuckle fizzled out. Before Draco could respond, he was being led through the tent flap and into the rather cozy tent.

He noticed Ron and Hermione cuddled up on one bed and was hardly surprised at the lover's embrace. Sympathy overwhelmed him as he thought of what his aunt, Bellatrix had done to Hermione. He should have done something! If he hadn't taken so long to get dressed, he may have been able to stop it entirely. He shook it off and turned to Harry who was rummaging through a bag, offering food as he went.

Draco couldn't help but smile as Harry tended to him. He was clearly excited to see him, and Draco assumed it wouldn't kill anyone if he stayed for a few days.

Or so he assumed.

* * *

><p>"You're coughing a lot." Gale commented as Odan was doubled over, trying to calm his lungs. It worried Gale to see him like this. He was about to offer him a drink from his flask when he heard a twig snap somewhere to his left. He turned his head and scanned the tree line. Not spotting anything out of the ordinary, he turned his attention back to Odan. "Here," He held up his flask. "Take a drink."<p>

Odan gave a final cough and nodded his head in thanks.

They continued their journey and Odan was making a lot of noise. This bothered Gale greatly, because he couldn't hear anything in the distance. Odan's footsteps were heavy, and thudded on the ground; he was hacking his guts out; and all the while he was talking. He wasn't even talking about anything important. Gale wanted to tell him to shut up, but he needed to keep his actions in check. He didn't want to be angry all the time so he tried to roll it off his shoulders.

"Which is why I didn't want to just hide out in cities and stuff," Odan continued as he held back a cough. "Then I told him that and he told me I was right so then we set off to find you."

"That's nice." Gale said absentmindedly he had the strangest feeling he was being watched and he focused the better half of his attention on that. The nearest city was about 3 miles away, which was a perfect radius for bandits and thieves to prey on unsuspecting travelers.

Someone has to keep their guard up, he reminded himself. He glanced over at Odan who was still talking, but his chest was heaving like he had been running the whole time instead of coughing up a lung.

"And then when I was talking to Ginny, I totally told her that I liked you and she said that you don't seem to like me back so I stayed with her more. Which is why you felt left out, and I apologize for that, I really do." Gale rolled his eyes and tried to keep from slapping the taller boy.

"Anyway, the point of all that was: I feel like we've switched brains." Odan finally stated. Gale looked up at him, his face clearly flabbergasted.

"Really? It took three hours of that rant just for you to come to the conclusion that we've switched brains?"

"Well…yeah. I wanted you to get my reasoning." Odan explained. This is when Gale noticed that Odan's eyes were glazed over and a far-away smile was plastered on his face.

"Odan, I think you should sit down for a moment." Gale advised, despite a nagging feeling in his gut that he was giving his pursuer a perfect opportunity for attack. He shrugged it off his shoulders; Odan's health is more important. He could fight anyone off who tried to break them up again, he was sure of it. He looked Odan more fully in his face, and noticed his lips took a slightly yellowish tinge. "What have you been eating?"

Odan raised his eyebrows and slowly shook his head. "I haven't had anything since breakfast this morning. Oh, but now that you mention it, I am rather hungry. Do you have anything?"

Gale tried to hide the panic from his face. This certainly was not Odan. Odan sulked and complained about everything. But now he was acting…cheerful?

"Odan, you had to have eaten something." He reasoned as he pulled out his flask and, again, offered it to Odan. "You're acting strange."

"I don't think I am, really." Odan paused to take a large gulp of water. "I think I'm acting quite normal. Though, my body does seem a bit off, which brings me back to my idea!"

"Mhm," Gale said as he fished around in his tote, hoping to find something that could help in this situation. "And what idea is that?"

"That we've switched brains! Or…bodies. However you'd like to put it. Because I'm acting like you, and you're acting like me!"

"Right," Gale replied, obviously not paying much, or any attention. Finally, he found a small bottle of Muggle medicine Odan had packed. He ripped off the seal and fed the dosage to Odan, who gagged at the taste.

"Disgusting!" He declared. "That is the foulest thing I have ever put into my mouth! Why did I pack that in the first place? Don't we have any wizarding medicine? That always tastes so much better." He stuck out his tongue for good measure, which brought a smile to Gale's lips.

"You're adorable." He said quietly, softly enough that Odan couldn't hear him. Gale stood up and offered his hand to Odan. "The sooner we get you in to town, the better."

* * *

><p>Draco woke up feeling warm. Blissfully warm, in fact. He could feel sweat starting to moisten his back, but he made no attempt to move. He even buried himself deeper into his personal heater. He slowly lifted an eyelid to peek at his surroundings. He was in a bed, or cot, rather and there was an owl hooting somewhere in the distance. But the thing that stuck out most was the pair of arms that were wrapped around his waist.<p>

He smiled fondly as the aroma of almonds filled the air and the memories of yesterday came flooding back to him. He instinctively went to reach for the clipping in his pocket, but stopped. Instead, he turned around to face the owner of said arms.

He didn't need the clipping anymore. He had the real thing.

It was still very early, and Harry, Ron and Hermione were still asleep. So Draco used this opportunity to study Harry's face. He would never again forget any detail on it. Draco reached his hand up and ran his finger from the corner of Harry's eye, all the way to the dimple in his chin. Then he reached up and kissed his nose.

One brilliant and sleepy green eye opened and slowly focused on him. Harry gave Draco a warm smile and stretched languidly. "Good morning." He said with a sleep-roughened voice that made Draco's stomach do summersaults.

"Morning." He replied. He sat up and looked around the tent. He didn't know what he was looking for, but he wanted to avoid turning into one goopy pile by distracting himself from the feelings that were flooding through him. But he couldn't avoid it forever…he let out a sad sigh and stood up. "I should get going."

"Would you knock that crap off?" Harry exclaimed loudly as he, too, sat up. "As if I'm letting you leave again." He grabbed Draco's arm and pulled him back down onto the bed. "You're never getting out of here, out of my sight, ever again." He growled. Draco chuckled and fell back into their embrace.

* * *

><p>Ron slowly lifted his heavy eyelids to see Draco and Harry snogging across the room. If this was going to be an everyday ritual, then he was out. He looked down in his arms to find the fragile form of Hermione, her chest faintly rising and falling. He poked her on the forehead a few times before she revealed her brown eyes to the world. It obviously took her a moment to realize where she was, but when she did, she jumped right out of Ron's arms.<p>

"I-I'm sorry," she stammered awkwardly as she ran into the other room. Ron stared after her in awe before he realized he was being stared at, too.

"Morning." Ron greeted the duo across the room. He picked himself up and followed Hermione.

"Hermione?" She was sitting at the table with her head buried in her knees. "What's wrong?"

She frantically shook her head. "N-nothing. I'm fine." Her voice clearly stated otherwise. Ron walked over and sat down right beside her, even daring to place a hand on her back.

"You um…you don't seem fine." Ron stated lamely. "Is it because we slept together?" He felt Hermione tense up as he asked the question. She didn't answer, so it was safe for him to assume he was right. "Why? That shouldn't bother you. I wanted you there. If anything, I should be the one upset by it."

She raised her head and peered at him through her watery eyes. She ran her eyebrows together, indicating that she wanted Ron to elaborate.

"N-not that I am upset!" He said as he quickly realized he had implied he was. "I'm…really happy you slept with me. Thank you." He tried to give her a comforting smile, but was rewarded with a laugh. He let out a relieved sigh as she threw her arms around him.

She pulled away a few moments later, her eyes thankfully dry and a smile gracing her face. "We should go welcome Draco now." She said as she stood up and offered her hand to help Ron up. He gladly accepted it because he felt weak in the knees when he thought of Draco and Harry again. Luckily, Hermione didn't let go when he was standing.

"Hello," Hermione said while trying to suppress a giggle. She and Ron seemed to walk in on a very intimate moment. Draco's shirt was off and he was trying to put a new one on, but Harry had his hands wrapped around the blonde's waist, preventing him from clothing himself. They both jumped at the sound of Hermione's voice and Draco's shirt finally found its way on his body. It was very baggy on him and it looked more like a dress than anything else.

"Hello." Draco replied with a face that very much resembled a tomato. That made Ron smile at least.

"When did you get in?" Hermione asked excitedly, apparently forgetting about what she had just walked in on. She went over and grabbed his forearm, leading him into the 'kitchen'. Since they were in a tent, their kitchen was made up of bins filled with nonperishable food and a table.

"Late last night," Ron (just barely) heard Draco's faint reply. The voices faded away when he noticed Harry staring at him with an amused expression on his face.

"You had good night, yeah?" Harry asked smartly.

"I could say the same to you." Ron didn't even bother to hide the annoyance in his voice. He couldn't care less if Harry knew.

"Yeah," Harry said happily. He completely missed Ron's tone and posture which angered the redhead greatly. It was like Harry didn't even care anymore. "I can't believe he's here."

"It's certainly a mystery."

"I don't think so." He replied, still oblivious to Ron's demeanor. "It was the star, I just know it!"

"Mhm," Ron replied as he got dressed for the day. It was too much for him to hear. He didn't want to be forced to listen to Harry's love for Draco. Then a thought occurred to him.

Harry hadn't actually said he loved Draco yet.

* * *

><p>Gale sat Odan down on the bed and told him to stay put. Odan's mood had taken a complete turnaround in the last couple hours. He stopped coughing, and he refused to talk anymore. His gaze was even more far off and distant than before. Gale pushed Odan back down on the bed and gave him a cold rag for his forehead.<p>

"I'll be right back. I'm going to go find you a doctor." Gale said as he left the hotel room and raced down the corridor. He had to find a wizard doctor because he was sure this was no Muggle disease. Luckily enough, Gale managed to notice that there was a wizarding bar right outside of this town. When Gale finally arrived, his chest feeling like it was going to burst, he threw open the doors and made sure his wand was showing through his pocket.

"I'm in need of assistance!" He announced loudly. "I need a doctor!"

Many of the occupants only stared at him with half lidded eyes. He cursed himself for thinking people at a bar could help him. They were all drunk! He ran over to the bartender who was eyeing him suspiciously.

"My friend is sick. I need a doctor, please. Help me." The bartender remained silent and continued to stare at him. "Please! Dammit!" Gale slammed his palm onto the table top and cursed as he scanned the room. Why weren't they helping him?

"Hey," Gale turned on his heels to face the owner of the deep voice addressing him. "You're in a muggle bar, you idiot. Come with me."

Gale thought on this for a moment. He looked back at the room full of drunkards. He was sure this was a wizard bar. He shook the mild embarrassment off and followed the man outside. "I need a doctor." He stated once they were outside.

"Yeah, I know; the whole bloody town could hear you."

"Well can you help me or not?"

"I can help you."

The tall dark man led Gale through the town's streets. He had a slight limp on his left leg and his left arm hung limp when he walked. He also noticed the fingers on the man's right hand were twitching. This unsettled Gale but he followed anyway. The most important thing right now was helping Odan.

They stopped in front of a townhouse and Gale was ushered through. The house was musty and altogether unpleasant to be inside of. He slowly walked around the house and stopped when he heard voices.

"Just lie down and let it work its magic."

"Thank you…doctor."

"Don't thank me just yet. Get some rest."

He peered through the threshold and found two plain looking people. One was lying on the sofa and the other was kneeling in front of him. Gale stepped through and cleared his throat. The one on the floor looked at him and smiled.

"Ah, I see Kull has found us another patient! Come in, lad, come in." The man had dark hair that was laced with grey and white flecks. His wrinkles weighed his face down, but he was a very handsome man nonetheless.

"I need help. It's my friend…" Gale started. He noticed the patient lying on the sofa and sucked in a breath. He had the same symptoms as Odan: his lips were yellow, he was sweating and he had dark circles under his eyes.

"And where is this friend of yours?" The doctor enquired as he stood up and called a woman into the room. She had her hair pinned back and the doctor motioned for her to look after the patient on the sofa. "Bring me to him."

"Y-yes sir." Gale turned on his heels and raced out of the house. The doctor kept up surprisingly well. "He's got the same symptoms as that patient on your sofa!" Gale called over his shoulder.

"Right!" The doctor called back. "I've been getting quite a few patients with that disease!"

"Disease? Is it serious?"

"Hardly! You happen to be speaking to the best doctor alive!"

Gale rolled his eyes. That's all he needed, an arrogant doctor. He led the man into their room and he froze at the sight. Odan had turned on his stomach and was bleeding out of his mouth.

"…G…ale.." He called. Gale ran over and took his cold hand.

"Odan! Odan! Come on! I'm here!" A tear escaped his cheek and he turned to the doctor. "Do something, dammit!"

* * *

><p>Hermione was being rather civil to Draco. On second thought…civil didn't cut it. She was being friendly. Draco watched as she fished through her bag for some clothes that would fit Draco.<p>

"You've got to eat more!" She scolded him. "You're far too skinny. We have no clothes that would fit!"

Draco blushed and looked away, noticing Ron and Harry chatting in the other room. Ron looked tense and Harry didn't seem to notice. Had something happened? He shook his head as if to dispel such thoughts and took another bite of the cake Hermione gave him.

"Good! Eat!" She smiled. "Harry! Ron! Are you going to eat?"

"Yeah we'll be right in!" Harry yelled back.

"Ugh. I'll be right back. We've got to have something around here."

A few moments later Harry and Ron were sitting at the table with him and Draco was being filled in on the situation. Apparently Voldemort had split his soul into seven pieces and Harry didn't stand a chance against him until all seven pieces were destroyed. It was difficult to wrap his head around but he tried to follow. Eventually Hermione came back, looking deflated.

"We don't have anything! He's going to have to wear your oversized clothes, I'm afraid." She shot Draco a look of sympathy and he tried to wave it away. He didn't mind it, really. He wasn't sure why Hermione was making a big fuss about it.

"Why don't you lend him some clothes Hermione?" Ron offered jokingly. The look on her face scared Draco to the very core.

"That's brilliant, Ronald." She hopped up and ran away again. Draco shot Ron a dirty look and Harry burst out into laughter.

"Shut up." Draco spat nastily, but this only made Harry laugh harder. Hermione returned with a pair of jeans and a plain white T-shirt.

Draco reluctantly put them on and was quite pleased with the result. Luckily Hermione wasn't a girly girl so her unisex clothes looked nice on Draco. His shirt hugged his torso perfectly and the jeans were nice and baggy. The only thing was that the…blemish on his forearm stood out; ready to be viewed by the three people he did not want to show. So he made a conscious effort to hide it by keeping it to his side and letting it remain limp.

"Damn, Draco." Harry commented as he stood up and wrapped his arms around the smaller boy. "You look good in girl clothes."

Draco elbowed him in the stomach but responded to his compliment with a kiss.

"What should I do with these other clothes?" Hermione asked as she held up the clothes Draco arrived in.

"I don't want them. Throw them out." Draco drawled. Hermione shrugged her shoulders and tossed them out of the barrier. They prepared themselves to apparate out of there and through all the commotion; no one noticed the clipping of Harry Potter fly away in the wind.

* * *

><p>"Worm root?" Gale asked the doctor. "Where can I find it?"<p>

"The corner drugstore should supply it. Be sure to buy enough for your journey."

"Doctor, we won't be continuing our journey until he is fully recovered."

This made the doctor smile in approval. "Wise man." He praised. "Since you'll be staying a little while longer, take my card. Call me if anything abnormal happens. I've never seen a case as fully progressed as his is. I'd like to keep a close eye on him, if I may."

"Yes, of course." Gale took the card and read the name 'Cicero'. He led Doctor Cicero outside and walked back over to Odan. He wasn't bleeding anymore and his lips were slowly returning to a normal color. He placed a kiss on the sleeping Odan's forehead. "You scared me, you jackass."

Gale walked down to the lobby and asked the muggle concierge to fetch some worm root for him. Then he picked up some food for later and walked back up to his room. He tried to wake Odan up by shaking him and poking him, but Odan just wanted to sleep.

The worm root arrived an hour later and he tried to get Odan to eat it.

"Odan, you need to chew on this." He held the root up to Odan's face and pressed it against his lips. "Come on, open up."

Odan mumbled and turned away.

"Fine. But now you're going to eat two when you wake up."

Waiting around was driving Gale insane. He pulled a feather out of the pillow and started playing with it. He tickled it under Odan's nose, which made him sneeze and burry his face under the blanket.

"Wake up you oaf!" He tossed a couple pillows Odan's way, but he remained sleeping. He sighed and dialed the number on Doctor Cicero's card.

"Hello?"

"Doctor, it's me, Gale."

"Oh hello Gale! I must say I didn't expect your call so soon. Is something wrong?"

"Well, I'm not sure. He won't wake up and eat his worm root. How long is he supposed to be asleep for?"

"Well…that's hard to say. He was pretty beat up before we started treatment. I'm sure he just needs his rest. You should get some, too, young man."

Gale finished his conversation and hung up the phone. "Alright, Odan. You can sleep a little while longer." He crawled into bed next to him and grabbed his hand. When Odan squeezed back, he was able to drift off into sleep, blissfully unaware of the fact that his stalker from the woods was right outside his window.

* * *

><p>...Yup.<p>

Bubbie, don't worry about it. :) I'm not exactly comfortable with writing...you know, _everything_. But I will make sure that Gale and Odan, as you elegantly put it, 'do the deed'

MightyGryffindor, thanks for the tip, but I actually chose Wimbledon because I spent alot of time there as a kid. I only used the name, not the location, because I quite like it.

Devil Subaru Chan, I honestly don't know what's going to happen. I've strayed quite far from when I first starting writing this story, so I'm going to try and pull it back together. Haha... I hope that answers your question..

Lemo Smith, I appreciate your dedication! Haha, I completely understand about the homework subject, so it's all good.  
>But yes, I've read your story 'A Moment To Remember'. I thought it was a very nice, cute moment.<br>I'm hoping to read 'Could Have Been Better, Or Much Worse' soon, but to be honest, I want to read them all soon. :)  
>And I hope that beta(ing) my story hasn't gotten in the way of your writing..<p>

Thanks for reading!


	19. Chapter 19

Summer Again  
>Chapter 19<p>

Keeping the Dark Mark from Harry was a more tiring task than he originally thought. His arm, specifically his left one, was constantly on his mind as he made sure it was unnoticed by the others. Harry kept asking him what he was thinking, but he couldn't very well tell him he was a Death Eater. The guilt was gnawing at him as he watched Harry chatting with Hermione. _Harry deserves to know I'm a Death Eater_… Draco shook his head. _No, I'm not a Death Eater. You have to sign the pact to be one. Voldemort made me one against my will__,_ He reasoned to himself. _I'm no Death Eater. _But if he himself wasn't convinced, then how would the other be?

"Do you want to help with the enchantments?" Harry asked, drawing Draco out of his thoughts. "You're not supposed to be able to just walk right through them, so an extra hand may be beneficial."

"I would, but I don't have a wand."

Harry stared at him for several seconds, and blinked. "You…don't?" He asked, disbelievingly. "Why not?"

"I, uh…left it…at my house." It wasn't a lie, but Draco felt like he had just betrayed Harry again. He was becoming completely dishonest to the one person he was not allowed to lie to. _It is the truth__,_ He reasoned. _It _is _at my house, and I _did _leave_. He gave Harry a weary look and was rewarded with his brilliant smile and flashing green eyes.

"No problem. We'll just have to find you a new one."

"In the meantime," Hermione interjected as he grabbed Draco's arm and started pulling him towards the clearing. "We'll find something else for you to do."

Draco tried to rip his arm out of Hermione's grasp, but she held onto it with a death grip, and he was reminded of the time she punched him in the face. He flinched at the memory and stopped resisting. Luckily she didn't even look at the limb in her grasp.

"Okay, set up tent here. You'll find it in my bag, over there," She pointed to a very small handbag and Draco tried to hide his smirk. "When that's done, light a fire on the inside and we should be done by then, okay?"

Draco nodded and walked over to her bag. He peeked inside, but it was too dark to see anything. He stuck his hand in and felt…everything. Books, clothes, boxes, plates, pillows, you name it.

Finally, he grasped something that felt like a folded tent tied together with tent poles and he pulled it out. Smiling triumphantly, he shoved poles into the ground, draped the cloth over top, and secured it. At which time, Hermione ran over, muttered a spell, and ran off. Draco walked inside the tent and saw it had expanded and furnished itself.

"How am I supposed to start a fire without a wand?" Draco thought aloud.

"Oh, good point." Draco turned to see Hermione at the tent opening. "I hadn't thought about that. Here," she said as she tossed her wand over to him. Draco instinctively reached up to catch it, and managed to do so.

He didn't realize his mistake before he heard Hermione gasp.

* * *

><p>"Gale." Gale immediately woke up and turned to Odan. "Are you alright?" Odan asked as he looked down at the sleepy Gale. His dirty blonde hair was disheveled and his blue eyes sparkled when he looked at him.<p>

"I'm fine. I'm more worried about you. How are you feeling?" His voice was laced with sleep.

"I'm alright." Odan said. His body still felt heavy, but it was nothing compared to the pain he went through last night when Gale was gone. He didn't blame the little blue-eyed boy. He went to get help, and for that Odan was entirely grateful. "The doctor was here this morning, but we didn't want to wake you."

"Hm." Gale replied as he sat up and wiped sleep from his eyes. "And? Did you learn anything?"

"Well, yes. We found… darts shot into the base of my neck." He pointed to a spot on his neck filled with three small puncture holes. "He said he didn't notice them last night because he was too busy with figuring out how to cure me."

"Darts?"

"Yeah. They were filled with a poison. Apparently there's a disease going around here people can catch through the air. But someone wanted to make sure I got it."

"Who would want to purposely give you a disease?" Gale asked. Odan gave him a small smile.

"We don't know. It happened a few miles back, when I was acting…loopy." A blush appeared on his face and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry about that, by the way."

"It wasn't your fault. I'm just glad you're okay now."

"Well, that's another thing. Last night, I heard someone tapping on the window, so I walked over and looked out."

"Did you see anyone?" Gale interrupted, to excited to hear the back story. Odan shook his head.

"No, that's the weird thing. I know I heard tapping."

Gale became solemn as he looked over at Odan, who was staring out of the window, still searching for an explanation to the noise. Gale stood beside him and whispered, "Odan…I think someone is following us."

* * *

><p>Ron's eyes were glued to the muscles visibly working from under Harry's shirt. They were barely noticeable but Ron could see them. He could see everything about Harry. He could sense when Harry was annoyed or depressed. He could tell if he needed someone to talk to. He even noticed the way Harry chewed on the inside of his cheek when he was thinking.<p>

Right now, Harry was focusing on producing the enchantments for their campsite. His tight jeans showed off just enough to send Ron's imagination wild.

"How are you feeling?" Ron asked, hoping to drive his thoughts away from places it shouldn't be going.

Harry smiled at him, "Better than I have been in a while."

"Because Draco's here?" Ron supplied as he raised his wand to help Harry with his task. He desperately hoped that he kept the bitterness from colouring his tone.

"Well, yeah. And you too. I'm so happy you're getting along with him. It really means a lot to me, thank you."

"Well. You trust him, mate. I do too." Ron said. It was true, after all. He did trust Harry's judgment when it came to people. But that didn't mean he had to be civil with Draco, did it?

"So you and Hermione seem to be getting off well. That's good. I'm glad you've gotten everything sorted out." Harry said happily.

"Yeah, me too." They finished their work and decided to stay outside and talk for a little while longer. They both felt they had been growing apart recently and with Draco being caught up inside with Hermione, now was a perfect opportunity.

* * *

><p>"What is that?" Hermione asked as she pointed to Draco's arm with wide eyes. "Y-you're a…a…"<p>

Draco shook his head desperately as he took a step closer to Hermione. "No, I'm not. It's not what you think!"

"You have the!- The!" She started jabbing her finger towards Draco's arm. He felt so helpless at this moment. He wanted to break down and tell her everything but she just wouldn't listen! Draco could only feebly shake his head and try to tell Hermione with his eyes to listen. That obviously did no good, so she turned on her heels and ran out of the tent.

_Great, _Draco thought. _Now I have about ten seconds to be kicked out_. He fell to the floor and waited for Harry to come running in and tell him to get lost. A few minutes later, Hermione returned alone, visibly calmer than she was when she left.

"I'm going to listen to what you have to say. Then I'll decide whether or not I should warn Harry." Draco stood up and refrained from hugging the bushy haired girl. He walked over to the table and sat down. She sat across from him and told him to start from the beginning. So Draco told her how his father and Voldemort were pressuring him into taking the Mark, but he always found a polite-as polite as refusing the Dark Mark could get- way to decline. He told her about the letters Voldemort had written and about how he realized he started to fall for Harry.

Then he got into the more troubling parts of the story. Draco described how he had ended up back home and what he was doing while she was being tortured. Hermione flinched when he brought it up, but he continued talking. Then he told her about how he was thrown into the dungeon for a countless amount of days and, even more troubling, the later days when he was being sexually abused by the Dark Lord. Her eyes grew wider as his story came to an end.

She quietly took his hand and squeezed it. "I'm so sorry." She said.

Draco shook his head, "No, I deserved every ounce of it. I was a bully. I said awful things to you, to all of you. I'm the one who should apologize…I just-" Suddenly Harry and Ron came through the tent and Draco snapped his mouth shut. He hoped Hermione got the hint that he didn't want Harry to know about any of this.

"Oh hello," she said as she dropped Draco's hand and went over to them. Draco held his breath in anticipation. "Are you all finished? Draco and I were just discussing dinner. Are you hungry?"

Draco sighed in relief and stood up.

"I know I am." Harry said with a smile towards Draco.

"What are we having?" Ron asked as he brushed past Draco and sat at the table.

"Well…bread," Hermione said and within seconds, she and Ron were in an argument. Harry only laughed and took Draco's hand and led him to the table. The bread was stale and the water used to wash it down had a musty taste to it. Harry kept loading Draco's plate with more bread, saying Draco had to gain some weight and wear man clothes.

"Draco, could I talk to you outside for a moment?" Hermione asked as she stood up and walked outside. Draco didn't miss the death glare Ron had shot his way as he followed her. "There's one thing I'm missing." She said sadly when they were out of earshot from the boys. "How did you get the Mark?"

Draco rubbed the back of his neck as he explained, "One night Voldemort came in for…some stuff and I took him by surprise. I knocked him off and ran for the door but I didn't get very far before I was knocked out. When I woke up, I had this." He flashed the Mark at her.

"But isn't there a pact you have to sign to become a Death Eater?" She asked as she examined the mark. Draco nodded.

"Yes, but I didn't do it. I'm not a Death Eater."

She nodded her head and released his arm. "I still have one more question. What does having the Mark mean? In terms of our safety from Him."

"Nothing." Draco said slowly. He didn't understand the question; he wouldn't be here if he was risking their safety.

"Can't he…find you?"

"Oh…" Draco said as he watched the worry form on Hermione's face. "No, he has no idea where I am or what I'm doing. The Dark Mark is just a means of communication. If he wants his Death Eaters he will call them. If they do not come they will be subjected to a pain beyond the cruciatus curse."

"Oh!" Hermione gasped. "But…then you're going to be subjected to it!"

Draco slowly nodded and shrugged his shoulders. "It'll end eventually. And it will stop completely when Harry destroys him."

Hermione whimpered and threw her arms around Draco. "I'm so sorry." She said into his chest. "You're so brave!"

Relief enveloped Draco as he hugged Hermione back. It was an extreme comfort to have someone to talk to; someone who knew what he had been though.

"If you ever need to talk to me just say so."

"Thank you, Hermione." Draco said. It felt weird to finally use her name, but it felt better than calling her 'Granger'.

"What the bloody Hell is going on?"

Hermione and Draco both snapped their heads up to find Harry and Ron staring at them through the tent flap. Ron was the one who spoke, his face was red and his eyes were fixated on Draco, who was more focused on Harry. He looked hurt, but he was trying to cover it up.

"Oh, no. It's not what it looks like." Hermione said as she removed herself from Draco's arms. "Draco and I were just-"

"I know bloody well what it was you were doing!" Ron bellowed, and then he turned his attention to Draco. "How dare you! We welcomed you in here! You're supposed to be with Harry, you sodder!" Ron shortened the distance between himself and Draco and closed it altogether by meeting Draco's face with his fist.

Draco was knocked down on the ground and felt blood pour from his nose and Hermione was shouting. Harry was crouching beside him, patting his face with a cloth to stop the bleeding.

"Are you alright?" He heard Harry ask and was about to respond when he was kicked in the side. The assault made his breath come in short gasps, he couldn't breathe properly, and now Harry was no longer by his side.

"Ronald!"

"Ron, no!" Harry screamed. Draco tried to see what was happening but he felt a sudden shock go through his body.

Then everything went black.

* * *

><p>"Following us?" Odan repeated. Gale was closing curtains and locking doors. Then he sat on the floor and motioned for Odan to do the same. Odan reluctantly sat down beside him. A few minutes passed before he broke the silence again. "What are we doing on the floor?"<p>

"If we're being followed we need to take every precaution we can." Gale stated as he used his wand to bring over the hotel telephone. He called the front desk and asked them to keep the security on high alert tonight.

"You're acting very paranoid." Odan pointed out as he pulled Gale into his arms. "There's nothing wrong. We're perfectly safe in here."

"I just want to be sure."

Odan ran his hand through Gale's hair, making the smaller boy lean his head on him. "You're always somewhere else."

"What do you mean?" Gale managed to choke out as he felt Odan's hand trail down to his wait and slither under his shirt.

"Can't you be with me for just one night?"

* * *

><p>Lemo, I really do like your stories, so it was my pleasure. :) and I do like 'messed up shizz' so that's probably my favorite so far. ;)<br>And thanks for adding in some of those parts. It's weird, but you're really good at understanding what I want to say and writing it out for other people to understand. Lol, does that make sense? Probably not, but I bet you get it.  
>And about that 'keyboard mashing' at the end...hah...I didn't understand it so I just let it be. I hope that's okay?<p>

DRBR-Lovely, Thanks! I'm glad you like it

kitty tokyo uzumaki, Thanks for the review, I'll try to update more often!

bubbie, Haha, your excitement entertains me. :D  
>They'll probably do it next chapter...judging by the way this one ended.<br>Harry and Draco are a different story. They're living with Ron and Hermione in a tent...so...that's probably far off.  
>I'm glad to hear it! I'm really having my doubts about it. Haha, it has no plot what so ever in my opinion. : I wish I planned it out better, but as long as a few people like it, I'm happy. :)


	20. Chapter 20

Summer Again  
>Chapter 20<p>

Those two beautiful brown eyes looked up at him, questioning the situation. Clearly, the owner of said brown eyes was more innocent than he led people to believe. Odan smiled slightly and placed a chaste kiss on Gale's lips. It was quick, but it certainly got the message across judging by the blush that was quickly rising on the other's cheeks.

"So…um..." Gale said awkwardly as he tried to avoid Odan's gaze. "I don't exactly understand what y-you mean. I've been with you pretty much every night…"

Odan scooted a bit closer. Their thighs touched for a brief moment and Gale visibly shivered. The blush on his face was laid bare for all to see now, and Odan could barely contain himself. He leaned in and placed his face at the base of Gale's neck. He found a vein with his lips and followed it with his tongue. The trail disappeared when it reached his jaw, so Odan opted for following that line instead.

"O-Odan. Are you feeling alright? Should I call the…doctor…?" The answer to that question was obviously 'No', seeing as Odan caught his lips in a very intense kiss.

Odan was welcomed into Gale's mouth and was greeted warmly at the entrance. He appreciated the hospitality, but he would rather explore on his own. So he pushed Gale's tongue aside and asserted his dominance. He quite enjoyed Gale's mouth; it always tasted like strawberries, though he never ate them.

Warm hands found their way underneath Odan's shirt. They caressed his chest in a very enticing manner and caused Goosebumps to rise all over his skin. His own hands found the bottom of Gale's shirt and were threating to rip it off. Gale didn't notice this action, however, and he broke the kiss when he found that he was suddenly half naked.

"Are you okay?" Odan asked, still trying to regain his breath. Gale simply nodded and made no move to resume kissing. His face was still red and it appeared as though he didn't know what to do with his hands. Odan grabbed one and tried to make Gale look at him. "Why won't you look at me?"

Two brown orbs were suddenly piercing his blue ones. There was a brief moment of sadness that flashed in Gales eyes, but it quickly disappeared. He finally acknowledged the fact that Odan was holding his hand and he squeezed back.

"I'm sorry. I'm fine." He said as he stood up and sat down on the bed. The panic and worry from their alleged stalker was completely erased from his face and replaced with stress. Odan could only hope that he hadn't done anything to create said stress.

"Did I do something?" Odan asked cautiously, still sitting on the floor. He didn't want to risk chasing Gale even further away by sitting with him, no matter how desperately he just wanted to be close to him.

"No, no. It's not like that. I just…"

"What is it, Gale?"

"I can't have sex with you."

* * *

><p>"What the fuck?" Harry bellowed as he rounded on Ron, who stood there with a rock. "What the <em>bloody<em> fuck, Ron?"

Ron stared back at him with wide eyes. He looked over at Hermione who was tending to Draco and was filled with rage once again. What happened to Draco, the bloody git everyone agreed on hating? Now he was the bloody git who stole everyone Ron loved. First Harry, now Hermione. What next? His mom?

He dropped the rock and walked back inside the tent. He kicked a few chairs and bed posts for good measure before he fell on his bed and tried to calm down. Harry was acting extremely calm about this whole situation. Wasn't Draco supposed to be his? How could Harry just accept the fact that he had his hands all over Hermione? Harry deserved better than this, he deserved _better_ than Draco.

"Ron?" He looked over at the tent flap to find Hermione standing there. She made no move towards him; just stood there and looked at him sadly.

"I know, I know. The rock was a bit much." Ron said to her and he rolled over to face the wall. He didn't want to hear this right now.

"A bit much?" Hermione repeated. "Ronald, the _punch_ was a bit much!"

"You've punched him before!"

She sighed and sat on the edge of his bed. "I appreciate you caring about me, Ron. But Draco and I weren't doing anything like that."

This was good. At lease he could use Hermione as a cover up. Truthfully, he wouldn't care if he found Hermione with some other guy. Ron didn't beat Draco up because he thought Hermione was cheating on him; he beat him up because he thought Draco was cheating on Harry. The bloke would really have to be a sodder to take Harry for granted.

"But knocking people out just because you find them hugging is unacceptable."

"I know. I'm sorry." Ron faked the sincerity in his voice and luckily, Hermione bought it. She smiled and cuddled up next to him.

"I know. But Harry's going to want to talk about it more." As if on cue, Harry walked through the tent flap, carrying Draco 'Bridal Style'. He didn't even make eye contact with Ron until Draco was tucked in bed, his head was propped up, and a kiss was placed on his head. He turned to Ron and gestured for the redhead to follow him outside. Ron sighed and Hermione stood up.

She planted a kiss on Ron's cheek and wished him good luck.

"I'm going to need it." Ron mumbled under his breath. He walked outside of the tent and saw Harry sitting on a fallen log. Walking very slowly, he made his way over and stood in front of Harry. "I'm sorry, mate."

Harry scoffed. "No you're not." He finally met Ron's gaze and a chill went through his whole body. He didn't even know Harry was capable of giving such a cold look. "You had time to think about it. The punch I could understand. The kick in the ribs; misplaced passion. But the rock to the head? You've got to be fucking insane!"

"It was a mistake…" A lame excuse, but it was the only one he could give.

"You could have killed him!" Harry yelled as he stood up to come face to face with Ron, whose face turned a deep shade of red. "I thought you had matured, Ron. I thought you could put the past behind you. He's changed!" Harry pointed to the tent. He dropped his arm back by his side and sighed. "Why can't you?"

"I'm sorry!" Ron exploded. He couldn't take being yelled at by the one person he loved most and it was finally getting to him. "I just…I saw him all over Hermione and I reacted! It was wrong, I know it. I regret it, Harry, I do. But what the bloody _Hell_do you want me to do about it?"

"You thought Hermione was cheating on you with Draco?" Harry asked, suddenly understanding why Ron had reacted so badly. Ron slowly nodded his head and looked down at his shuffling feet. It wasn't the real reason why he had gone berserk, but it was close enough… "Ron, they were just hugging."

"I know that now," Ron stated dumbly. "It was just… I don't know. Ever since he got here I've been waiting for him to do something wrong. I didn't want him to, but I just knew it would happen. And then I saw it and…I'm sorry."

Harry sighed and drew Ron into a hug. Ron's heart was beating frantically in his chest at the sudden contact and the warmth from him was enough to send him over the edge. He reacted immediately and threw his arms around Harry, deepening the hug. But then, with a sudden rush of realization, he let go and took a shaky step back. His face felt like it was on fire but Harry had a huge grin on his face.

"I just hope Draco doesn't run out here and bash your head with a rock."

Ron smiled back, "Mates?"

"Mates." Harry reluctantly replied. "But Ron, if this doesn't stop right now…"

Ron nodded his head, dismissing Harry's threat. He didn't need to hear it.

* * *

><p>Draco opened his eyes slowly to find Hermione hovering over him. His head felt like it was about to roll right off his shoulders. There was a sharp pain around the crown, but it was rather light. His vision was blurred for a few seconds, but he was able to blink it away.<p>

"How are you feeling?" Hermione asked. Draco thought on that for a moment. Why would he feel this bad? Then the events flew back into his mind. He was hugging Hermione, beat up by Ron and then he passed out. Draco's face turned red as he nodded his head. He immediately regretted that action and hissed out a breath.

"Try not to move your head." Hermione advised. Draco fought the urge to roll his eyes. Obviously, he thought sourly. She placed a cold rag on his forehead which did alleviate the pain somewhat. But something was missing…

"Where's Harry?" He asked shakily.

"He's…talking to Ron." Hermione answered hesitantly as she placed a warm hand on his leg. "He's really sorry…" Draco nodded his head, but made a mental note to stay away from him. There was also a pulsing pain in his stomach. He lifted the covers and unbuttoned his shirt. A bruise about the side of his head was forming there.

Hermione gasped, "I didn't even think to look there!"

"It's fine," Draco said as he tried to cover it back up.

"Wait here, I'll go and get another rag." _Where else would she go?_ Draco asked himself. He appreciated Hermione's kindness, but he really wished Harry was here. He looked around in his pockets, then through the side table by his bed. Where the bloody Hell was it? He looked under the pillows and through the blankets…but it wasn't there.

"What are you looking for?"

"Huh?" Draco looked up and saw Hermione had come back with a large rag. "Oh, nothing."

"Okay, well lie back down and take off your shirt."

Draco blushed but did as she instructed. He propped himself up on an elbow to watch. "It's really not that bad."

"Oh hush up. This will help sooth it a little…" She said as she gently laid it across the bruise. Just at that moment Ron and Harry walked in. Draco groaned and fell back. Of _course_ they'd walk in just then, he thought sourly. Surprisingly, he still felt Hermione's hand on his stomach, smoothing out the lumps in the rag.

"Hey," Harry said quietly as he knelt down beside Draco's bed. "How are you feeling?"

Draco cracked open an eye and looked at Harry. He looked concerned and worried. His forehead was crinkled and he was frowning slightly; he looked so damned adorable Draco had to look at something else. His eye landed on Ron, who stood there with his lips pursed.

"I feel fine." Draco answered with a smile as he looked back at Harry, who smiled back.

"I'm glad. Ron, is there something you'd like to say?" Hermione asked as she withdrew her hands and stood up. Ron sighed and took a few steps closer to Draco.

"I'm sorry. I over reacted and lost control…" Ron avoided making eye contact, but he could hear the sincerity in his voice.

Draco smirked, "Its fine. But now I get a free punch." He felt Harry's eyes boring into him, but he was busy eyeing Ron's reaction. Those few words created a tension in the air that caused everyone discomfort and Draco was loving every minute of it.

Ron turned a deep shade of red and slowly nodded. "Right…I guess that seems fair…" He said quietly.

"Good." Draco said as he stood up, despite the pounding in his head and stinging in his side. Ron looked up at him with wide eyes; clearly he wasn't expecting the punch to happen now.

"Draco, what are you doing?" Harry asked sadly. Draco knew Harry didn't like his friends to fight, but he made no move to stop it. A good choice in Draco's opinion. He was directly in front of Ron now and he could see him straining the muscles in his face, preparing for the assault.

He stood there for a good minute, allowing himself to appreciate the anticipation, wariness and curiosity that was surely flowing through everyone's brains. Finally his face broke out into a smile.

"I'll pass." Draco said happily as he made his way back over to his bed. He looked around at everyone's expressions, and it was worth the temporary pain. "I had permission, reason, and timing to punch you in the face." He pointed out when he made eye contact with Ron. "But I didn't."

Ron's red face went to a very pale white. He nodded and briskly walked out of the tent. Hermione shot Draco a smile then went to follow Ron.

"I don't get it." Harry said when they were alone again. He climbed up on Draco's bed and sat with his legs draped over Draco's legs. "What was the point?"

Draco shrugged and tried to get comfortable again. "I wanted him to see how normal people show self-control."

"Well if that isn't calling the kettle black…" Harry said smartly with a smirk painted on his face.

"Shove off."

* * *

><p>Odan's heart was pounding wildly in his chest. What did Gale mean by that? He tried to appear calm and understanding but his mind was racing and his body was aching. Physically <em>aching<em>. Much to his relief, Gale fell on his back and lay sprawled out across the mattress. He made sure he was out of Gale's view before he clutched his face and tried to clear his head.

"It's not that I don't want to, don't get me wrong." He said after a few deep breaths on both their parts. "It's just that I can't. I keep…having these flash backs…of being in the dungeon." It was obvious that Gale was having trouble with talking about this, but he was trying for Odan. "Even though I'm kissing you, and I know I'm kissing you, I picture being in that moldy cell…kissing that awful person."

"Kissing who?" Odan demanded. He never heard this story before and it unnerved him. Gale had told him he was abused, but he never mentioned, or even hinted that the abuse was sexual. Damning all of his preset boundaries, he climbed up next to Gale and hovered over him.

"His name was Edgar. He was filthy. Always trying stuff with me." He sighed and turned to Odan. "I don't want to ever think about him again. Especially if I'm with you. And there's more to relationships than just sex, right?"

"Yes, of course." Odan supplied quickly. He brushed his fingers along Gales face before asking, "But I don't understand why we can't. If I were to be with you, you wouldn't think about him. You'd think about me."

Gale smiled wearily. "I want to believe that, too. But it just happened when you took my shirt off. I saw his face, and if by touching someone like that I have to see him, then I won't touch anyone."

Odan tried his hardest to be mature about this, but it was all thrown out the window when he turned away from Gale and pouted. He felt like he had just walked into a toy store and been told not to touch anything. "It's not fair." He mumbled to himself. Apparently, Gale heard it. He started to laugh uncontrollably from behind him.

"I never thought I would see you act so childish!" He stated happily. He pulled on the back of Odan's shirt and fell into a warm embrace.

"It's not fitting." He commented as he brushed a stray piece of hair from Odan's face.

"You said that you would never touch anyone, earlier." Odan said quietly. Gale nodded and ran his eyebrows together. "But what if you don't have to touch anyone?"

"Odan, what are you talking about?"

"Just let me try this…" Odan instructed as he kissed Gale's collar bone and massaged his pronounced ribs. He made a mental note to treat Gale to a nice dinner tomorrow night. After all, he was going to deserve it after tonight.

* * *

><p>I think I'm going to stop doing the review replies. It takes up too much space and I'm almost certain half of you don't give a damn about what I have to say to people who review. So, if you want to talk to me send me a PM, which I will reply to.<br>Thanks for those of you who do review; it means a lot to me :)

Thanks for reading!


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